


I Will Embrace the You that You Hate

by arimi_skywalker



Category: Arashi - Fandom, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gender or Sex Swap, M/M, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 37,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arimi_skywalker/pseuds/arimi_skywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ohno, Aiba and Nino are friends since they were little. In high school they met Sho and Jun, who joined their group of friends, but when they finished their studies the two groups separated and lost contact. Ten years later, Ohno and Sho meet on a train by chance, and Sho remembers he used to think that if Ohno were a woman he'd go out with him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ohno

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I said goodbye to the last person left.

I looked around, eyeing each canvas that hung on the walls, and sighed, happy and tired. It had been a long afternoon, but I'd managed to sell all of my paintings, and that's what really mattered to me. In addition to that, a collector with a lot of money had come from Osaka to see my work expressly and gave me his business card, telling me not to hesitate to call him when I held a new exhibition.

The lights went out, thus ending the day, and I finished packing up my things and said goodbye to the gallery staff. I was exhausted, but so happy that I could've danced all the way to the station. I wouldn't know quite how to describe how I felt at the moment. It was like floating on a cloud, as if that afternoon hadn't been real, but at the same time I didn't want to let myself get carried away and build up my hopes ahead of time. It was only the third time I'd held an exhibition, and the first time I had managed to sell all of my paintings, so I didn't want to rush into thinking that it'd always be that way, because if at my next exhibition I didn't sell everything, the blow would be worse.

When I reached Tokyo station, it was crowded as usual, despite it being a Saturday night. I was surrounded by strangers while waiting on the platform, but that didn't stop me from letting my mind wander and getting lost in my thoughts, already thinking about the subject I wanted to use for my next collection. I had always wanted to experiment with a new palette of colors, to switch up my style, try something I had never tried before, and maybe now was the time for it. In this exhibition I had slightly modified my style and it proved successful. Perhaps it was just a matter of continued experimentation in order for me to be able to reach more people.

I rode the train absentmindedly and sat down in the first available seat I found, without paying attention to my actions. My mind was too busy with a barrage of different ideas to pay attention to anything else, much less to the little things my body did routinely. Already seated, I set all of my things on the floor, keeping them between my legs so as not to bother anyone.

"Excuse me", a young man said, standing in front of me. "Are you Ohno Satoshi?"

That voice brought me back to the real world, and made me blink a couple of times, staring at the stranger, wondering if it was really me he was speaking to.

He was dressed like any other _salaryman_ , in a gray suit and tie, and carrying a briefcase in his hand. His jet black hair was perfectly combed, with bangs covering half of his forehead, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed as he looked at me, holding onto one of the rings that hung from the ceiling of the train to keep his balance.

"Y-Yeah", I replied, still dazed.

The man smiled, with a shy gesture.

"Long time no see!", he exclaimed. "How are things with you?"

"Er..."

It seemed that man knew me, but I had no idea who he was. As much as I stared at him, I couldn't remember his face, and I knew I would've remembered someone like him if I had ever met him before.

He was handsome, wore his suit with class, and looked very polite.

"Don't you recognize me?", he asked, slightly blushing.

"Er... No... Sorry...", I lowered my head, blushing as well, slightly embarrassed at not being able to recognize him.

"I'm Sakurai Sho. We went to the same high school"

I'm sure my eyes widened as I looked him up and down.

The man was handsome, very handsome, and the Sakurai Sho I remembered from high school was anything but handsome, that's for sure. He had big teeth, a wide forehead, and eyebrows that reminded me of caterpillars; thick and hairy.

I stared at him confused and curious, tilting my head. The teenage Sakurai Sho from my memories was bad tempered and took things too seriously, while the man who was now in front of me showed a warm and gentle smile, hidden behind a shy gesture. He couldn't be the same person. It was impossible.

"S-Sakurai Sho?"

"I've changed a lot, I know", he chuckled, amused. "Jun repeats it all the time"

"Jun?"

I remembered a Matsumoto Jun from that time, but I hadn't seen him in so many years that I could barely remember his face, only his confident and self-assured attitude. Someone told me some time ago that he had moved to Europe, Spain to be precise, but I knew I couldn't always believe all the rumors that reached me.

"Yes, Matsumoto Jun", said Sho. "Do you remember him?"

"Kind of, yeah. I think he used to be the leader of our group"

"Yes! Exactly! That Matsumoto Jun!"

I looked around, making sure that Sho's excitement wasn't catching the attention of the rest of the car. The man sitting next to me was sleeping, and the other people standing around Sho, were busy with their books or phones.

"He's in Spain", he continued. "He's a fashion designer"

So it was true. He really was living in Spain.

"Well! That's amazing"

"I know, right? I'm so jealous every time he sends me pictures"

"Do you two still keep in touch?"

"Yeah, we've always kept in contact, even after high school. He went to Spain about a year after graduation, but we've always written e-mails back and forth, and when he visits Japan, we always get together and catch up on each other’s lives. You should hear his accent"

Sho chuckled and I couldn't help chuckling with him.

"I'd love to see him again"

"I think he's planning to come back to visit his family soon. It might be a good chance for you to see him. What do you think?"

I blinked, caught by surprise.

I had said that I would love to see Matsumoto merely out of politeness, and to follow his conversation. However, it seemed that he had taken me seriously and was excited about the idea.

"G-Good...", I replied.

"Good", he nodded, placing his hand in his jacket and looking into his inside pocket. "Here, this is my card. My phone number and e-mail address are there. Give me a call anytime and when Jun comes back, the three of us can meet up. You know, for old time's sake"

The smile on his face widened.

I accepted his card, taking it with both hands and looked at him. I would've liked to give him my card too, but I didn't have one, so I looked through my things, pulled out a pen and turned his card over to write my information on the back. Then handed it to him, with a smile.

"My phone number. And my e-mail address. Just in case you want to call me"

Sho looked surprised at first, but he ended up laughing and accepting the card.

"Thank you, but how are you supposed to call me?"

"Er..."

At that moment I realized the silly thing I had done. Because I wrote my information on his card and gave it back to him, I didn't have his information anymore. I looked up at him, slightly embarrassed.

"It's okay", he said, looking into his pocket again. "Here"

He handed me a new card, which I immediately took with both hands and kept it inside of one of my sketchbooks. It definitely wouldn't be lost there.

Sho laughed, at the same time the next stop was announced.

"Well...", he said, with a certain tone of disappointment. "I get off here"

I still had a million things I wanted to ask him.

I hadn't seen him in ten years and, as he'd said himself, he had changed a lot. I didn't recognize the man in front of me, but on the other hand, I liked him better than the boy I had known years earlier in high school, and I felt I didn't want to lose contact with him again.

"I hope to see you again", the words left my lips almost at their own will. "You know... to remember the old times..."

Sho seemed to like that I repeated his words.

"Of course!", he said. "You can call me anytime"

I nodded with a smile on my lips.

"I enjoyed seeing you, after such a long time"

"Me too", he replied. "I'll be waiting for your call"

The doors of the train opened and Sho got off.

I immediately turned around in my seat, and watched how he smiled at me from the platform, elegantly waving with a little bow as he walked to the exit. And my heart began to beat like crazy. I don't know what happened. Something in his smart figure, his good manners or his warm smile had me smiling like an idiot as I noticed how my heart wanted to jump out of my chest inside that crowded train car.

When the train started to move, I sat forward and looked for his card inside my sketchbook. I observed it, holding it once again with my two hands, and smiled. Meeting Sho on a packed train, where there were so many faces that it was nearly impossible to differentiate a stranger from a familiar, seemed almost like a miracle to me. Without a doubt, fate had arranged for us to meet. It had arranged for me to sell all of my paintings so that I would stay at the gallery until late and happen to run into him on the train back home.

I wanted to call him when I got home, but it was already very late and I figured he was probably sleeping. _Salarymen_ have stressful lives, and normally take advantage of the few free hours they have to relax. Then I wanted to call my two best friends, who'd been with me since high school, and tell them that I had met Sakurai Sho by chance, and how he had changed. I wanted to give them all kinds of details as soon as possible, but I realized that it was too late to call them as well.

I plopped down on my bed and sighed. I didn't want to put on my pajamas and get into bed, as if it were just another day. I'd sold all my paintings, and had lived a fantastic, practically dream-like moment, meeting a person who I thought I'd never see again in my life. An old friend who used to be a part of my small group of friends in high school, with whom I had lost contact at some point and I didn't even know why

I wanted to remember that day, and I'd thought of a way to do it.

I got up and rummaged through one of the drawers where I kept my old sketchbooks. Since I was young, I had always liked to draw everything I saw, including the people around me. It was like taking pictures, only they were my own vision of reality. I had been keeping those drawings throughout the years and many of them, over time, had become beautiful memories. Flipping through them used to be the closest thing to watching a movie of my life.

The book I was looking for was old, very old. So old that it was stored at almost the bottom of the last drawer in which I searched, and many of its pages were slightly torn or completely loosened. I looked among the pages yellowed by the years, and finally found what I was looking for.

My drawings of Sho.

There weren't many of them, because at that time he wasn't what caught my attention the most, with his bad tempered looks. But, even though I preferred to draw happier things and smiling faces, in some way, with his furrowed eyebrows and wide forehead, he had managed to catch my attention long enough to draw him on several occasions.

I smiled to myself, thinking that those drawings did not do him justice anymore, so I grabbed a pencil and folded the sketchbook back to a blank page.

And I drew the new Sakurai Sho.


	2. Aiba

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
 __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I couldn't control my excitement.  
  
It was a Sunday afternoon and we were at my place, where the three of us had arranged to meet after Oh-chan called that morning saying he had something to tell us. He had sounded excited from the start, which was something uncommon in him, and both Nino and I had been wondering all day what might've happened.  
  
When he finally told us that he had met Sho-kun, our old high school classmate, on the train by chance, I couldn't help jumping for joy. I had wanted to get back in touch with him and Jun-kun for years, but I had no way of doing so because they had changed their phone numbers and no longer lived in the same place.  
  
The encounter between Sho-kun and Oh-chan was like a blessing.  
  
"Did you really met him on the train?!", I exclaimed. "Wow! It must be fate, Oh-chan! It has to be. Fate will have the five of us reunited again!"  
  
"I thought the same", he said, giggling. "It's fate"  
  
"But how can he be handsome?", Nino asked, taking a drag on his cigarette.  
  
Oh-chan's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he looked down at his fingers, fidgeting on the table. He had told us that he hardly recognized Sho-kun when he spoke to him on the train, that he had changed a lot and didn't have those big teeth or wide forehead anymore, which I had always found funny.  
  
Knowing my friend, I knew it hadn't been easy for him to say all those things aloud. If he had, it was because Sho-kun had really left a strong impression on him, and I found it adorable.  
  
"He has... changed a lot...", he whispered.  
  
"There's absolutely no doubt he's changed. I can still remember his teeth", Nino laughed.  
  
I looked at him, shaking my head in disapproval.  
  
Nino was ironic and sarcastic, and liked to make funny comments in all kinds of situations, though nothing ever interested him enough as to catch his attention for more than a couple of minutes. Only video games and magic. He was terribly clever, and proved it without wanting in each of his words or actions. There wasn't anything Nino couldn't do, no matter what it was, and it was impossible to beat him in a war of words, but truth was that, in the end, he was the best of friends. Whenever Oh-chan or I had needed him, he had always been there, without the need to call. Maybe he wasn't a person who had the right words for every moment, since he wasn't good at openly expressing his feelings, but he was always by our side, even if it was just sitting in silence, when he knew our hearts felt lonely.  
  
However, Oh-chan needed a different kind of support at that time.  
  
"That's awesome, Oh-chan!", I exclaimed right away. "It's amazing to hear that he's changed so much! I've always felt sad that we didn't maintain contact with him of Jun-kun. In high school, we always went everywhere together and, somehow, I sometimes think about how great it would be if the five of us could meet again. Perhaps fate was waiting for this change to reunite us again! Maybe that reunion is possible now!"  
  
Oh-chan looked at me with a shy smile.  
  
"I don't know. I called him this morning, just after calling the two of you, but we only arranged to meet for a chat and reminisce about old times. Maybe he's not interested in having a reunion of classmates"  
  
"Why not?", my tone was similar to a complaint. "We used to be friends. Why wouldn't he be excited to see all of us again?"  
  
"It's been more than ten years, Aiba-chan", Nino replied.  
  
"Yeah. And Jun is in Europe, anyway", Oh-chan added.  
  
"Maybe we can all go to Europe on vacation!"  
  
Nino rolled his eyes at my excitement.  
  
"Yeah, sure, we can catch the plane tomorrow", he snorted.  
  
I couldn't help pouting.  
  
Nino sighed and put his cigarette out in the ashtray.  
  
"Don't make that face", he said. "I don't have a job, how do you expect me to travel to Europe? And Oh-chan is finally starting to get lucky with his paintings, he can't leave now either"  
  
"I just thought it could be exciting, that's all"  
  
I think I made a sad face because Oh-chan looked at me, resigned.  
  
"I guess that... wouldn't hurt to ask him", he said.  
  
The excitement came back to me.  
  
"Really?! You'd do that for me, Oh-chan?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. I won't lose anything by trying. Besides, I think you're right. It would be interesting if the five of us could get together again, even if it's just for one night"  
  
"Great!", I exclaimed. "Let's toast to our future old friends' reunion!"  
  
Nino laughed amused while I jumped up and went to the kitchen.  
  
I was going to grab some beer or _sake_ , but when I opened the fridge, I saw my latest experiment there.  
  
I had finished my degree as senior scientist about six months ago and I was now participating in a research group at the University of Tokyo, but I felt the experiments being done there were too common and boring. I preferred to conduct my own experiments at home and try to invent something different, something that had never been seen before. Nino and Oh-chan used to play my guinea pigs, but so far, none of my experiments had been successful.  
  
The last time, the two of them had said that the flavor of my experiments was so awful that they'd never try one again. In the end, they never worked anyway. This time I had tried to replicate a color and flavor similar to beer, so that it wouldn't be that unpleasant to the taste buds, but I knew neither of them would believe me after all the nasty things I'd made them drink before. And I figured that night could be the perfect opportunity.  
  
I filled three glasses with the yellowish liquid, so the difference between them wouldn't be noticeable, and took them on a tray to the living room, where I offered one to both of my friends.  
  
" _Kanpai_!", we said all at once, raising them into the air.  
  
I brought my glass to my mouth, but I didn't drink the contents. I was too busy paying attention to Oh-chan, who downed in one shot what he thought it was beer, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand; and Nino, who immediately took the glass away, without trying the contents, making a disgusted face when he brought it to his nose and sensed the slightly sour smell.  
  
"What the hell is this?!", he exclaimed.  
  
Oh-chan looked down at his empty glass, confused.  
  
"It's beer", I said, trying to look innocence.  
  
"Yeah, sure, beer... That's why you didn't drink it!"  
  
I couldn't help but smile as I looked at them.  
  
"Okay, it isn't beer. It's my new experiment. Sorry"  
  
"Eh?!", Oh-chan's eyes widened as he looked down at his empty glass again.  
  
"You were trying to make me drink that, without telling me what it really was?", Nino protested.  
  
"If I told you, you never would've accepted! You're always telling me that I make you drink awful things that don't even work in the end", I pouted.  
  
Oh-chan looked at me.  
  
"Just out of curiosity, what exactly did I drink?", he asked.  
  
"Well, it's a mixture of several things that...", I looked at Nino, then at Oh-chan, and looked away, lowering my voice. "... that should turn you into a woman..."  
  
My two friends blinked at the same time and then burst out laughing.  
  
"Into a woman, he says", said Nino, amused.  
  
"For a moment, I was scared", Oh-chan laughed.  
  
I looked down at my glass, still full on the table.  
  
"Yeah, sure... how stupid...", I smiled bitterly.  
  
They were right.  
  
In all those years, I had never managed to make any of my experiments to work. I spent hours researching, mixing ingredients, combining substances, and had never achieved anything. No matter how much faith or excitement I had in a project, the reality was that they always turned out wrong. That's probably why Nino and Oh-chan had never refused to try my experiments before and their only objection had been about the flavor, never the results. They didn't believe in me, and I was beginning to not believe in myself either.  
  
"Oh, Aiba-chan, don't get discouraged", Oh-chan tried to cheer me up, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Your experiments never work because you always try things that are too complicated. If you aspire to something more realistic, I'm sure you'll achieve it"  
  
What he said made sense, but I didn't want to achieve something more simple or realistic, as he phrased it. I wanted to invent something different, something that would prove to the world that dreaming was worth it.  
  
"The problem is that almost all the realistic things are already invented, and they don't cause any special effect in people", I told him. "If I could achieve some kind of miracle with my experiments, lots of people would start to believe in their dreams again"  
  
"That's beautiful, Aiba-chan..."  
  
"But impossible", said Nino. "Come on, do you have any real alcohol?"  
  
I sighed and motioned to the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, there should be some _sake_ in the cupboard"  
  
Nino jumped up.  
  
"I'm going for it"  
  
He returned a few minutes later with three clean glasses and two bottles of _sake_.  
  
We toasted again, this time with real alcohol, and drank the contents of our glasses in one gulp. We refilled them right away and drank some more as we talked.  
  
The afternoon flew between alcohol, laughter, jokes, comments about trivial things, and the typical existential conversation we always had when we drank too much. Once we'd emptied the two bottles of _sake_ , we all looked at each other, as if questioning what we should do next.  
  
"The _sake_ is finished", Nino announced.  
  
His cheeks were pink due to all the alcohol he'd consumed.  
  
"You're imagining things. There's still _sake_ ", Oh-chan laughed.  
  
"Where?", Nino asked, shaking the bottles.  
  
"I don't know. Somewhere"  
  
"Shut up! You're drunk"  
  
"You're the one who's drunk"  
  
"You're both drunk", I said.  
  
The three of us laughed in the silliest way.  
  
"I'm going to the _konbini_ for more _sake_ ", Nino said.  
  
"I can't drink anymore", I replied.  
  
"And I need to use the bathroom"  
  
Oh-chan stood up and Nino tried to follow him.  
  
"Where are you going?", Oh-chan laughed.  
  
"To help you"  
  
"Go back to the living room! You're drunk"  
  
"No, no, you are drunk. That's why you need my help"  
  
I could see Nino grab onto Oh-chan's ass and Oh-chan slapping at his hand, though neither of them hit very well with their movements and they lost their balance. I probably looked just as ridiculous sitting in my living room, with my cheeks heated and my eyes practically shut from the alcohol and fatigue in the wee hours of the morning.  
  
Nino didn't take long to come back, complaining about Oh-chan not accepting his help, and I laughed, though I couldn't really understand his words very well. It's always the same. When I'm drunk, I laugh about everything, even when it isn't funny or I don't understand.  
  
"I think I'm going to sleep", I told him.  
  
"Wait, give me money to buy _sake_ "  
  
"I don't have any money"  
  
"Yes you do!"  
  
"I'm telling you I don't"  
  
"And I'm saying you do!"  
  
"Bah, whatever"  
  
I laid down on the floor and placed a cushion under my head.  
  
Nino shook me several times, trying to convince me to give him the money to buy more alcohol, and he would've really managed to get it if it wasn't for me being so sleepy that I didn't feel like standing up to look for my wallet. I wasn't very comfortable lying on the floor, but after all the _sake_ I'd consumed, it didn't really matter. Nor did it matter that Nino wouldn't stop shaking me until Oh-chan came back from the bathroom and sat in his place again.  
  
I don't know what happened after that because I fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
And I dreamed that Oh-chan woke up as a woman.


	3. Sho

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I followed him down the street.  
  
He was carrying several bags, full of what seemed to be art-related items, and walked with a distracted smile on his lips. I wasn't sure if it was actually him, but I decided to silently follow after him, keeping at a safe distance so I wouldn't end up reported by someone who might've noticed my suspicious behavior.  
  
We entered Tokyo Station. He stopped on the platform, with his vacant look fixated on the tracks, and all my doubts were dispelled right there. It was him. More than ten years had passed since the last time I'd seen him, but I would've been able to recognize him among a million people. Simply because he was different. He always had been and, despite the passage of time, he still had that absent-minded look that made him adorable.  
  
In high school I grew to have a strong sense of fascination towards him, to the point of thinking that if he had been a woman, I would've asked him out. Without giving it a second thought. OK, so he wasn't the smartest kid in class or a star player for any sports team, and would spend more hours in his own little world than in the real one, but there was something special about him. Something that awoke a certain tenderness and warmth in me, and made me look at him with devotion.  
  
Those days were long gone with my teenage years, but as I watched the train arrive at the station, I knew I couldn't let him go without speaking to him, even if it was just to make sure I wasn't wrong and he really was the person I used to have that irrational fascination for as a kid.  
  
I waited for him to get in one of the cars to follow him, and I only needed to look at him once to know it was him. It couldn't be anyone else. Without even meaning to, he was fascinating me once more. Suddenly, I felt like a teenager again, and I found myself smiling sheepishly, as if he could read my insides. And then I realized that I had never really left those days of devotion behind me.  
  
I had never forgotten Ohno Satoshi. And now I couldn't stop thinking about him.  
  
It was Sunday morning. I had bought the newspaper and made some coffee, and was now sitting in front of the computer, with Jun's latest e-mail open, waiting to be answered since last Monday.  
  
I read it again and clicked the reply button.  
  
  
 _Jun,  
  
How's everything going?  
  
I don't really know why I bother to ask, when you're just going to say that everything's wonderful, as usual, and you're going to make me jealous with pictures of sunny places, streets full of interesting people, and restaurants where you can have amazing meals for a fraction of the price they'd cost here.  
  
What were those things you mentioned in your last e-mail? Razor clams? Was that the name of them? They looked so good in the picture! And wherever you were sitting at looked like paradise. Did you say it was right in front of where you live? I'm so jealous.  
  
How many holidays do you have in Spain?  
  
That's the second time this year you've gone on a trip and, by your tone, I can assume it won't be the last. I, with my whole ten days of vacation, hardly have enough time to visit other cities in Japan. And you've gone to France! Again, you can't imagine how jealous I am and how I wish I were in your place. It's obvious that some people are born stars and others get the short end of the stick.  
  
Today it's raining in Tokyo.  
  
It's Sunday and everything is as usual. This morning I went out to buy the newspaper and something to eat. I was thinking about going to Hama Rikyuu to spend the afternoon, but with the rain, it's impossible, so I came back home. Now I'm sitting here, in front of the computer, writing this e-mail to you.  
  
Sorry it took me so long to reply. Things at the office are a little messy with the renewal of the staff; we have a lot of new people who need help from those of us who've been in the company longer, but at the same time we can't stop doing our own work. You already know we have weekly goals we need to accomplish, so everything is a little crazy right now.  
  
By the way! Before I forget, I went to visit your parents.  
  
They're doing well, your sister and her husband are taking good care of them, but they say they miss you a lot. They told me to ask when you're coming back, that they want to see you, and they asked me again if we're a couple. It's funny they still think such a thing after so many years, and even after meeting my last girlfriend and all. I know we've had a close relationship since high school, but I'm not interested in men.  
  
Sorry Jun, I know I'm breaking your heart with my words.  
  
Speaking of high school, you wouldn't believe who I ran into yesterday on the train coming home. Ohno Satoshi! Do you remember him? The small guy that was in our group of friends? Kind of absent-minded, always carrying a sketchbook around. Not the smart aleck, that was Ninomiya, if I remember correctly. Ohno was the one that was always getting scolded for bleaching his hair and got kicked out the classroom for not paying attention.  
  
I always thought he was special, and I was able to confirm that this weekend.  
  
He was carrying a lot of things, sketchbooks among them, and I figured he was still as enthusiastic about art as he had always been, but this morning I was flabbergasted when I opened the newspaper and saw his picture in the culture section. I'd never heard about him in the news before, but the article said that he had held his third exhibition in Tokyo and that all his work had been sold. It also mentioned a rich collector from Osaka, who was in one of the pictures with Ohno. It seems he had a special interest in Ohno's art, and was the one attracting all the press.  
  
I thought it was amazing!  
  
I still have some of his old drawings.  
  
When he sat next to me in school, he used to draw on the first place he found, and many times that ended up being the corner of my book. I always found his ability to adapt to any kind of paper, and how fast he drew things amazing. They were things that would've taken me years to draw... No, I take that back, I can't even attempt to draw them.  
  
Anyway, yesterday we exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and arranged to call each other to plan a meet up so we could chat about how things have been going. Isn't that great? I'm so excited! After more than ten years, I meet him by chance, and we're able to speak as if no time had passed at all.  
  
By the way, we spoke about you as well. I told him you're living in Spain, but you're going to come to visit your family soon, and he said he would like to see you. So I told him the three of us together could meet up one day while you're here. I hope you don't mind.  
  
Well, Jun, I'm saying goodbye now.  
  
Keep enjoying as much as you can!  
  
Take care and write soon,  
Sho_  
  
  
I clicked the reply button and sighed, leaning back in my chair.  
  
I wanted to call Ohno, but felt it was too early for that, so I went to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and came back with the newspaper, ready to read and relax. But at the moment, a sound came from the computer that distracted me, and I saw that I was receiving a video call through _Skype_.  
  
"Jun!", I exclaimed when I clicked the button to answer the call. "What a surprise!"  
  
"Tell me everything"  
  
He had his glasses on and was holding a piece of bread cut in half with something reddish inside. I squinted to try and make out what it was, but his room was only dimly lit by a small bedside lamp, and the call's video quality didn't make it any easier.  
  
"What are you eating?", I asked, ignoring him.  
  
" _Pan con tomate y jamón_ "  
  
" _Pan con tomate y jamón_?"  
  
"Yeah, but don't change the subject. I want details. Now"  
  
"Details? About what?"  
  
"What do you think? Your little encounter with Ohno"  
  
"Ah! Yeah, sure", I felt a heat rising to my cheeks. "It wasn't anything special, just what I told you in my e-mail. We didn't speak about anything interesting"  
  
"I don't buy that story, Sho. You just turned red"  
  
"Because you asked about it as if it were something weird"  
  
"Weird?"  
  
"Yeah, you know. Something personal"  
  
"Ah, of course! I forgot you don't like men"  
  
He rolled his eyes. I nodded.  
  
"Exactly"  
  
"So that's why you always followed him around in high school"  
  
"I didn't follow him around all the time!"  
  
"Sho, you looked like his bodyguard"  
  
I awkwardly shifted in my seat, feeling uncomfortable.  
  
"It's true that I had some sort of protective feeling towards him, and I was fascinated by how different he was from all of us, but that's it"  
  
"Sure. And you never once thought about going out with him, right?"  
  
"No! Of course not!", I exclaimed right away. "I never..."  
  
The chime of my cellphone interrupted me.  
  
I clicked my tongue as I pulled it out of my pocket, but when I saw Ohno's _kanji_ twinkling on the screen, I smiled and cleared my throat, turning slightly in my chair, as if Jun wouldn't be able hear me that way.  
  
" _Moshi-moshi_ ~", I answered.  
  
"S-Sakurai Sho-san?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me", I chuckled because of his polite tone. "You can call me Sho"  
  
"Ah, Sho. It's Ohno Satoshi"  
  
"I know. I was going to call you about meeting up, but I thought maybe it was a bit too early"  
  
"Ah, well. I... called for the same reason...", he shyly giggled.  
  
A foolish smile appeared on my face.  
  
"What do you think about Friday afternoon? I don't have to work on Saturday, so we wouldn't have to rush back home", I proposed.  
  
"Great! I'm an artist, so... My schedule is pretty open..."  
  
"Good", I felt the smile on my face widening. "See you Friday afternoon then?"  
  
"Yup, Friday afternoon", he confirmed.  
  
When I hung up and turned back, I saw Jun was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. On the screen I could see my cheeks turning a bright shade of red again, as I shifted in my chair and cleared my throat.  
  
"So?", he said. "You were saying?"  
  
"I don't remember"  
  
"Something like, you would never go out with Ohno"  
  
"Yeah, that"  
  
"Yeah, sure. With that stupid grin on your face?"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Okay, I'll admit that if he were a woman, I would consider going out with him. I don't know"  
  
"If he were a woman...", he laughed out loud.  
  
"Don't laugh!"  
  
"But it sounds ridiculous, Sho! What do you mean if he were a woman? He's a person, who just so happens to be a man, and you fell for him. It doesn't matter!"  
  
"Don't even try to plant those ideas in my head"  
  
"I'm not trying to put anything in your head. I'm only trying to help you see the reality of things before it's too late. Ohno is never going to be a woman, and by the time you decide to get rid of your prejudices, he may have already found someone else"  
  
I looked at him for a few seconds and shook my head.  
  
"That's what he has to do, find someone else. Besides, why are we speaking as if he confessed or something? It's ridiculous"  
  
"Your way of thinking is the only thing that's ridiculous here", he snorted.  
  
"Well, whatever. This is what I want"  
  
"Fine"  
  
"And now why are you angry?"  
  
"I'm not angry. It just annoys me how close-minded you are"  
  
"Why does it bother you? If I want to be with a woman and not a man, as my friend, you should support my choice, don't you think?"  
  
"I'll support you in everything that makes you happy, Sho. And I know a woman isn't going to make you happy"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Okay, I can see I won't convince you otherwise, so it's pointless to continue this discussion"  
  
"You're right", he sighed as well. "I should get to sleep now, anyway"  
  
"Don't worry, we can talk another time"  
  
"Yeah, later on"  
  
"Take care, Jun. And come see us soon"  
  
"I will"  
  
He nodded and cut the video call, without saying anything else. I sat back in my chair and took a sip of my coffee, which was already cold.  
  
And found myself thinking about that conversation.


	4. Nino

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
 _ Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling._  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

We hadn't gotten drunk together in a long time.  
  
Oh-chan, Aiba-chan, and I had been friends since we'd met each other in elementary school, when we were just six years old. During our school years we met a lot of people, and at one point our circle of friends had been bigger, but in the end, it was always the three of us. With our fights, our laughs, and our disagreements.  
  
In high school, we met Sakurai Sho and Matsumoto Jun, two guys who were different from the rest of the kids. They were classy and stylish, but joined our group in a matter of days. Sho-kun seemed to take a special liking to Oh-chan's personality and he also got along well with Aiba-chan, while Jun-kun connected more with me, who was a little more independent than my two friends.  
  
We all became good friends and they were in our little group throughout our high school years, but due to the circumstances of life, we lost contact with them after graduating, and hadn't seen them in more than ten years. That weekend, however, Oh-chan had run into Sho-chan by chance on the train back home, and using the excuse of celebrating a future reunion with our old buddies, we took out the bottles of _sake_ Aiba-chan had kept in his cupboard and drank until they were empty.  
  
Before we knew it, we were drunk and spouting off a bunch of meaningless drivel. I think I had tried to escort Oh-chan to the bathroom at some point, when the _sake_ was finished and I had nothing else to drink. Then I remember pestering Aiba-chan to give me money to go buy more bottles, but I didn't get anything from him. When Oh-chan came back from the bathroom, I wanted to go to the _konbini_ to buy more alcohol, so I tried to stand up to grab my wallet, but I lost my balance and fell on top of my friend, cracking up.  
  
"Ouch! Nino, be careful", he complained, pushing me away.  
  
I rolled onto my side and looked at him with a smirk.  
  
"Did I hurt you, Oh-chan?", I said, pouting innocently.  
  
"Yeah, you nearly crushed my chest"  
  
"Oh~ Let met heal you, then~", I playfully touched his chest, and was surprised at how particularly soft it felt. "Man, you've got a pretty soft chest"  
  
"You'll use any excuse as permission to grope", Oh-chan giggled.  
  
I kept touching, exploring the area.  
  
"No, really, you're getting chubby. I'd say you almost need a bra"  
  
"Hey, I don't need a bra"  
  
"What are you talking about? What would you call this then?", I squeezed his chest again. "You need to lose a few kilos", I laughed, amused.  
  
"Leave me alone! You're drunk", he complained. "And besides, it hurts"  
  
"Your chest hurts?"  
  
I stopped touching and looked at him.  
  
"Only when you squeeze it", he replied.  
  
"Jeez, you're worse than a girl", I laughed.  
  
Oh-chan giggled.  
  
"If I'm a girl, then you're a brat", he said.  
  
"Bah, whatever", I yawned. "I don't want any more _sake_ now. I'm sleepy"  
  
"See? You're a moody, little brat"  
  
"Whatever you say"  
  
I laid down on the floor, following Aiba-chan, and placed a cushion under my head. Shortly after that, I felt Oh-chan's head resting on my leg, settling in to sleep. I smiled and stretched out my hand to gently stroke his hair as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, I awoke to a hand impatiently shaking my arm.  
  
"Nino", Aiba-chan whispered. "Nino... wake up..."  
  
I whined in protest and got rid of his hand.  
  
"Nino... wake up...", he insisted. "It's important..."  
  
I clicked my tongue and rubbed my eyes.  
  
"What do you want?", I groaned, still half asleep.  
  
I opened my eyes and blinked several times, the sunlight was blinding and it made my head hurt at the same time. I brought my hand to my forehead as I frowned and looked around, trying to remember exactly why I had been sleeping on the floor of Aiba-chan's living room, but it all came back to me when I spotted the two empty bottles of _sake_ on the table, along with three glasses.  
  
Aiba-chan looked at me and pointed to the head resting on my leg.  
  
"When did she get here? I don't remember her at all", he asked pouting.  
  
I sat up and rubbed my eyes again, staring at the long, chestnut-colored hair on my leg. I quizzically raised an eyebrow at first, but I soon realized what was going on. Oh-chan was playing one of his pranks on us.  
  
"It's Oh-chan", I said, laughing. "He's just being silly"  
  
"Oh-chan?", Aiba-chan looked confused.  
  
I nodded and touched the shoulder of my friend, who was still sleeping.  
  
"Oh-chan~~ You look beautiful this morning~~", I said in a playful tone, reaching out to grab his chest, as if he were an actual woman. "Oh, how cute! You put socks in there and everything"  
  
Oh-chan shifted on my leg, lazily waking up.  
  
"What's happened?", he asked, rubbing an eye. "Why are you being so noisy in the morning?"  
  
I couldn't help laughing again when I heard his voice. I wasn't sure how he was able to do it, but he was speaking in a really high pitch, just like a real woman. He would definitely have to teach me that trick.  
  
"How are you doing that voice?"  
  
"I don't know", he touched his throat and cleared it a few times.  
  
"And what did you put on your chest? It's really well done, it actually feels like a woman. I have to congratulate you", I groped him again. "It's so round and soft"  
  
Oh-chan slapped my hand away.  
  
"Why do you guys always do this to me while I'm sleeping?", he sighed.  
  
"We didn't do anything", Aiba-chan protested. "We just woke up"  
  
"Yeah, sure, of course. Last time I had to spend more than ten minutes trying to get all the make-up off my face, and now you put me tits and a wig?", he touched his throat and cleared it again "And what the hell did you do to my voice? This isn't funny"  
  
Aiba-chan blinked and looked at me.  
  
"Was it you, Nino?"  
  
"What are you talking about? You just woke me up, if you don't remember"  
  
The two of us looked at Oh-chan, who was trying to pull the wig off, but he winced in pain. It wasn't a wig. It was his real hair. And I couldn't stop staring at him, completely bewildered at the sight.  
  
"It worked...", Aiba-chan whispered.  
  
Oh-chan looked at him.  
  
"What are you talking about? What worked?"  
  
"My experiment...", said Aiba-chan. "It worked"  
  
"I-It can't be", Oh-chan tried to clear his throat again and immediately stood up to look at himself in the first mirror he found. "This is crazy! You have to be kidding me! What did you do? Seriously, this isn't funny anymore"  
  
"It wasn't us. I'm being honest", I insisted.  
  
Oh-chan's eyes reflected fear in them.  
  
"A person's body can't change overnight", he touched his chest. "You can't go to bed as a man... and then wake up...", he looked inside his pants and his eyes widened. "... a woman...", his voice trailed off.  
  
There was a moment of silence, which was broken by Aiba-chan.  
  
"It worked!", he exclaimed. "Oh my God!! It worked!!"  
  
Without thinking, I approached Oh-chan and lifted his shirt, opening my eyes when what I saw wasn't the flat chest of a man, but two perfectly formed breasts, the same as any young girl would have.  
  
"It worked...", I said. "It really worked..."  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!", Oh-chan pushed me away, covering his chest with his shirt again and blushing a fierce shade of red.  
  
"It's amazing!", Aiba-chan exclaimed.  
  
Oh-chan frowned and pounced on him, grabbing the collar of Aiba-chan's shirt and got up in his face, with a threatening expression. I tried to stop him, but Oh-chan was really angry.  
  
"Give me back my body right now!!"  
  
"I-I don't know how to...", Aiba-chan stammered.  
  
"Oh-chan, don't do anything stupid", I said, trying to separate them.  
  
"You don't know how?!", he yelled, ignoring my words. "You made me try that thing without having another... THING to reverse its effects?! Are you kidding me?!"  
  
Aiba-chan shook his head immediately.  
  
"I-I'm not kidding, Oh-chan. I really don't know what to do to..."  
  
"Damn it!!", Oh-chan exclaimed, letting go of him. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!"  
  
He stood up and began to pace around the room.  
  
"I... I will find a way to fix this... I swear...", Aiba-chan said with glassy eyes as he lowered his head.  
  
I sighed.  
  
"You had better!!", Oh-chan bit his knuckles, in a gesture of despair. "That guy from Osaka, the collector, he wanted to meet this week to negotiate"  
  
"I'm sorry", Aiba-chan mumbled.  
  
"Sorry?! You're sorry, you say?!", Oh-chan snorted, though his eyes were getting teary. "What am I going to do now?! What if I stay like this forever?!"  
  
"We'll find a way to reverse it", I tried to reassure him. "Now, just calm down. As much as you yell at Aiba-chan, it isn't going to solve anything. Look at him. He already feels guilty enough"  
  
"Look at him?! Look at me!!"  
  
I looked at him from head to toe and tried to downplay the situation.  
  
"What's the matter? You're beautiful. You wanna be my lover?"  
  
Oh-chan glared at me.  
  
"Okay, okay. I was only joking, don't get angry"  
  
"This isn't the time for jokes!", he roared.  
  
He tried to run his fingers through his hair, but he remembered he didn't have the short hair of a man anymore, but long brown hair that nearly reached his waist, and he clicked his tongue, showing his frustration when it got tangled.  
  
"Looking like this... I can't meet with Sho either...", he said.  
  
Aiba-chan stood up and looked at him with the saddest eyes in the world.  
  
"I'm sorry, Oh-chan. I'm really sorry"  
  
"Does saying that fix anything?"  
  
Oh-chan didn't yell or frown anymore.  
  
He only looked dejected with sadness in his eyes.  
  
"You can call Sho-kun and postpone your meeting", Aiba-chan said, placing his hand on our friend's shoulder. "I swear I will work day and night to find a solution as soon as possible!"  
  
"How am I going to call him? I have the voice of a woman..."  
  
"You're right", Aiba-chan pouted.  
  
Oh-chan frowned again.  
  
"All of this is your fault, so you fix it"  
  
"I will, I swear. I'll find something that turns you into a man again"  
  
"I'm not talking about just that", Oh-chan said, getting rid of the hand on his shoulder. "Call Sho and make up a credible excuse to postpone our meeting. You owe me"  
  
"But...", Aiba-chan whined. "I don't know when you'll have your old body back"  
  
"Make up whatever you want. You owe me for turning me into this"  
  
Oh-chan quickly walked to the door of the apartment and left like a hurricane. Aiba-chan groaned because of the slam and tried to follow after him.  
  
"Oh-chan!", he called out.  
  
"Leave him alone", I grabbed his arm, stopping him.  
  
"He's upset because of me! I can't leave him alone", he sobbed.  
  
I sighed. Seeing Aiba-chan like that broke my heart.  
  
We'd known each other since childhood and I knew he was an extremely sensitive person. Everything around him affected him very easily, especially if things involved the people he loved and, in this case, he felt guilty and responsible for what had happened. I knew the weight of that burden was too much for Aiba-chan, that's why I decided to stay with him instead of following Oh-chan.  
  
"If you follow him, it'll only be worse", I said. "He's frustrated with himself right now, and nothing that you or I say will help him feel better"  
  
"But... we don't know where he's going... or what he's going to do..."  
  
"He needs some time to himself. Leave him alone. When he's ready, he'll call"  
  
Aiba-chan didn't look very convinced, but he nodded and sat down on the floor.  
  
"I have to do something...", he whispered, more to himself than to me.  
  
I sat beside him on the floor, and for the first time, I became aware of the reality of the situation.  
  
Oh-chan had actually turned into a woman.  
  
A woman.


	5. Ohno

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
 _ Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling._  
 __A/N : Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[furokugal](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I ran down the stairs of the building like a bat out of hell.  
  
I was angry, frustrated with myself, and the world. Why did it have to happen to me? Aiba-chan's experiments had never worked when Nino and I drank them together, but the one time I drink alone was the one that had to work. And on top of it all, it worked overnight. I could perfectly recall how my chest hurt the night before, just a few hours after drinking the concoction, and now I understood everything. The transformation had happened little by little, like a girl going through adolescence to become a woman, only faster, which explained why Nino had said I was getting fat and my chest felt soft.  
  
It all made sense.  
  
That morning, when I realized my body wasn't the same anymore, I took it out on Aiba-chan, but the truth was that, deep down, I didn't really blame him. I only blamed myself for not paying attention. If I had been careful like Nino, I would've noticed the liquid smelled weird and wouldn't have drunk it. And I wouldn't be living through hell.  
  
I walked the streets of Tokyo for hours, just trying to rid myself of all the pent up sadness and anger I had inside. People would turn around to look at me, probably because the clothes I was wearing were too big for me, but I didn't care. I just needed room to breathe, to stop feeling suffocated inside of my own body.  
  
After wandering for several hours, my initial feelings of anger had disappeared, and now there was only sadness and frustration. Two young guys that passed by had tried to hit on me, telling me I was cute and invited me to have a drink with them, so I decided that I had enough. I didn't want to continue feeling all those eyes on me, let alone having more idiots think they had a right to invade my personal space just because I was a woman, so I looked for the nearest train station and went home.  
  
It was already past two in the afternoon when I reached my apartment, however, I didn't feel hungry at all. I slipped off my shoes, left my keys on the shelf in the hall, and walked to the bathroom to freshen up a little. And then reality hit me square in the face. I didn't recognize the person in the mirror. I touched my face and watched the long locks of hair falling over my shoulders to the middle of my back, then I took off my shirt and examined my naked body.  
  
Those curves at my waist, that thin figure, that woman's breast...  
  
I pursed my lips in anger and put my shirt back on. I turned around, with my back to the mirror, and leaned against the sink stand, letting the weight of my body slide down until I reached the floor, where I hid my face in my hands and broke down in silence. It had to be a nightmare. It couldn't really be happening.  
  
I hated my face.  
  
I hated my body.  
  
I hated my voice.  
  
I hated my hair.  
  
I stood up, with tears still streaming down my cheeks, and walked out to the living room to search through all the drawers where I kept all of my artist's tools, until I found what I was looking for. A large pair of sharp, metallic scissors.  
  
I went back to the bathroom, held one of those long locks in my hand.  
  
And I got rid of it.  
  
I cut a few centimeters away from my scalp and let it fall to the floor. I took another lock and did the same. And another, and another, until there were no locks left to cut. I stared at my reflection once more and the feeling of anger washed over me again. It hadn't worked. I cut my hair exactly how it had been before waking up that morning with that damn body, and even then my face was still clearly that of a woman. I dropped the scissors and clenched my fist to hit the glass, which cracked in a thousand different places, splitting my reflection. It was as if the mirror wasn't satisfied with my outside appearance and it wanted to reflect how I felt on the inside. And little drops of blood began to run down the back of my hand.  
  
I immediately moved my fist away from the shattered glass and cradled it with my other hand, contorting my face into an expression of pain. It was obvious this was not my best day.  
  
After taking care of my hand and wrapping a thin bandage around the wound to stop the bleeding, I slumped onto my couch, like a lifeless doll. I couldn't call the Osaka art collector. Hell, I couldn't even hold an exhibition being a woman. I wasn't very well-known in the art world, but the few people that had seen me, knew that I was a man. I couldn't explain my new appearance to anyone without being taken for a madman. Or a madwoman, better said.  
  
And I couldn't see Sho either.  
  
I had called him on Sunday morning, unable to wait any longer, and we had arranged to meet on Friday of that week, but I couldn't just show up as a woman. How would I explain it to him? Of all the people that might think me insane after hearing my story, Sho was probably the one I cared about the most. He wasn't just an old high school friend, who I had missed during those ten years of not seeing one another, but I considered him someone special.  
  
I didn't know why, but since that day I had bumped into him on the train, I couldn't stop smiling whenever I thought about him, and when he said he could meet me that same week, my life felt brighter. And now I couldn't see him. I couldn't even call him, and he would hate me when he spoke to Aiba-chan and heard his explanation why I couldn't meet him. He would think I didn't have the nerve to tell him personally, and everything would be over.  
  
Even when my body returned to normal, Sho would hate me and I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.  
  
I laid down on the couch and curled up into a ball as tears flowed down my cheeks again. I didn't know what to do. Aiba-chan didn't know how to turn me back into a man, he didn't even know how long the effects of the damn experiment would last. What if I had that appearance forever? I would have to start living as a different person because no one would believe me if I told them the truth, and I didn't want to be another person. I didn't want to adapt my life to that of a woman and have to start over again. I wanted to be Ohno Satoshi, as I had always been, even when I wasn't anyone special.  
  
I wanted to be myself again.  
  
That night, I decided to remove all the mirrors in my apartment. It didn't change anything, but at least I managed not to get depressed every time I passed in front of one and happened to see my damn reflection. I refused to accept that face as mine, much less consider those new shapes and curves were really my body. I hated it. So I decided not to go out. I didn't want anyone to see me like that. I didn't want to be spoken to or treated like a woman, because I was a man. I had always been a man, and I wanted it to remain that way.  
  
Nino said I could pretend to be someone else, maybe a distant relative that was visiting temporarily, but what if one day I turned into a man again? Just as I had woken up a woman, I could wake up being a man again at any time. Or worse. What if my body never returned to normal? How would I explain my disappearance and the relative that suddenly resided at my place? I decided to go ahead with my original plan and lock myself in my apartment, and as much as Aiba-chan and Nino tried to convince me to go out at least to buy some proper clothes, nothing they said could change my mind.  
  
I spent the day dressed in sweatpants and the largest t-shirts I could find in my closet in order to hide my womanly curves as much as possible, and I did all my shopping online to avoid going out. Nino insisted that people would have no idea that I was once a man, that I had no reason to hide, and Aiba-chan said that getting some fresh air would help me see things in a different light, but the truth was that I didn't have the will or the strength to do anything.  
  
Days passed and my body didn't make the slightest attempt to go back to its normal state. I woke up every morning hoping to notice any change, no matter how small, something to give me a renewed sense of hope, something that told me I wasn't going to stay that way forever, but I never found anything. Those curves were still at my waist, my voice was still high pitched, and I still hated myself.  
  
When Friday arrived, the day I was supposed to meet with Sho, I was in my living room, sitting in front of a partially painted canvas, instead of getting dressed and heading out to Harajuku. Painting kept me distracted, at least, even if it was just for short periods of time. I spent hours in my apartment trying to create new things, or just adding nonsensical brush-strokes. Anything was valid so long as I wasn't idle, because I would start thinking, and if that happened, I usually became frustrated and wound up crying or angry with myself and the world, yet again.  
  
I was starting to grow tired of this situation, which always repeated itself, like a spiral that I couldn't get out of. Nothing fit, nothing had a solution. I had no clue what I was going to do with my artistic career while I had a woman's appearance. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to continue painting, for my professional sake and my own mental health.  
  
Night was falling when the doorbell of my apartment pulled me from my thoughts.  
  
I wasn't expecting any visitors. It'd most likely be someone trying to sell me something, so I decided to ignore it, hoping the person on the other side would think there was no one home and just leave. But the doorbell rang again, and I clicked my tongue, annoyed. The sound was distracting me, and I didn't need any more distractions than I already had, so I tried to act as if I hadn't heard anything, but the person on the other side was being persistent and knocked on the door this time.  
  
"Oh-chan? I know you're in there. Open up, please"  
  
It was Aiba-chan's voice.  
  
I stopped painting and turned in my seat, to stare at the door.  
  
"Oh-chan?", my friend insisted, knocking again. "Please..."  
  
I looked down at myself.  
  
I was wearing my painting clothes, covered with little blotches of color here and there, just like my fingers. In other circumstances, I might've cared to be seen in such a state, but I had the appearance of a woman. What could be worse than that? Besides, it was only Aiba-chan. He had seen me in my work clothes a million times, and in many more ridiculous outfits too, not to mention he had already seen my new womanly chest after Nino pulled up my shirt at his house.  
  
I sighed and got up to open the door, resigned.  
  
"Aiba-chan, what...?"  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
Standing in front of me, wasn't only Aiba-chan's face.  
  
It was Sho's too.


	6. Aiba

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I didn't know how to fix it.  
  
On one hand, I was happy because one of my experiments had finally worked. It was the first time that something I created had worked, after so many years trying. I couldn't describe the excitement I felt at first, but then I saw Oh-chan so angry and depressed that all my happiness vanished and gave way to sadness, along with the guilt of having used him as my guinea pig without his consent.  
  
I figured the experiment wouldn't work, like all the others that had failed. I never thought that Oh-chan would actually wake up the next morning a woman, but it happened, and he hated his new body so much that he had locked himself inside his apartment and refused to come out. At first, he wouldn't even open the door for Nino and me, and when we finally got him to let us in, we didn't advance much further. Oh-chan was determined not to come out until he was a man again, and I didn't know what to do. Since I assumed the experiment would fail, I hadn't given any thought to a remedy.  
  
It was Monday morning when Oh-chan became a woman and left my apartment furious, demanding that I find a remedy as soon as possible and tell Sho-kun that he wouldn't be able to meet that Friday however, I knew how excited Oh-chan had been about seeing our high school classmate again, so I decided to work harder than ever, and gave myself a deadline of five days. I had until Friday.  
  
I told my colleagues at work that I had to visit my mother urgently and would be staying with her all week, but I actually stayed at home instead, working day and night to find a remedy that could cure my friend so he would be happy again. I was heartbroken every time we visited him and saw him so downcast, retreating into his art. And I was the one at fault. I had brought this on because of my selfishness, thinking only of satisfying my own curiosity about the final result.  
  
Hours went by fast and I became desperate, looking through books, mixing substances, even calling old classmates to ask for their advice, but it was a fruitless effort. I lost count of the number of antidotes that I'd made Oh-chan try that week, desperate to see if any of them worked and my friend went back to being a man, but every time he remained a woman and I was starting to go crazy. Friday was approaching at astonishing speed, threatening to destroy the small bond Oh-chan and Sho-kun had created last Saturday on the train, and I wasn't willing to allow that.  
  
I had to do something.  
  
On Friday, Oh-chan called to ask if I had spoken with Sho-kun and canceled their date. Truth is, I didn't do it, but I lied and told him I did, because I had a plan.  
  
That evening, at half past six, I entered the Harajuku café where Oh-chan had planned to meet Sho-kun and looked around, searching for our old friend. Oh-chan had said he'd changed a lot, so I didn't expect to find any familiar face among those present. What I was really looking for was a handsome, elegant man, most likely wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase with him.  
  
Bingo.  
  
There he was.  
  
Seated at the back of the café, with a cup of hot chocolate in front of him, a man of my age was attentively reading the newspaper. He wore a black suit, his hair was perfectly combed, all natural, and resting by his side was a leather briefcase. I knew it was Sho-kun because of the way he furrowed his eyebrows as he impatiently checked the hour. Clearly, he was waiting for someone, and I was the one in charge of explaining to him just why that someone would never arrive.  
  
I approached his table and stood right in front of him.  
  
"Sho-kun?", I asked, though I was more than sure it was him.  
  
He looked up and immediately stood to bow.  
  
"Good evening", he said.  
  
I tilted my head, confused by his excessively formal attitude.  
  
"Why so formal?"  
  
"Eh?", he looked at me, as if he were inspecting the expression on my face. "If it bothers you, I can use the familiarity you wish, sir"  
  
I laughed.  
  
He was mistaking me for another customer.  
  
"It's me, Aiba-chan! Don't you recognize me?"  
  
This time it was he who tilted his head.  
  
"Aiba Masaki", I said, pointing myself with a smile. "From high school!"  
  
"Oh! Aiba Masaki! Now I recognize you. Your smile is still unmistakable", he chuckled.  
  
"My mom says it's tireless", I chuckled with him. "I recognized you because of the way you check your watch"  
  
"Really? No one has ever told me that before. Have a seat, please", he said, pointing to the chair, just in front of him. "I'm waiting for someone, but we can talk a little in the meantime"  
  
I nodded and took a seat.  
  
"You're waiting for Oh-chan, right?", I told him.  
  
He sat down in his chair and looked at me, bewildered.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"He told me"  
  
Now his face was surprised, but there was a certain gleam in his eyes.  
  
"You talk to Ohno?"  
  
"Yeah, and Nino too"  
  
"Well! What a surprise!", he exclaimed. "I'm still in contact with Jun too"  
  
"I know. Oh-chan told me. And I think it's awesome!"  
  
"I see you've been talking about me", he chuckled.  
  
"Well, a little bit. Oh-chan was really happy and excited to have run into you on the train. We talked about the possibility of maybe the five of us getting together again one day"  
  
Sho-kun smiled at my excitement.  
  
"I'm afraid that Jun is in Europe"  
  
"Yeah, I know. But we can travel to Europe together to see him!"  
  
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. A reunion of old friends in Europe", he looked around. "Where is Ohno? Didn't he come with you?"  
  
I sighed and lowered my head.  
  
"Sho-kun... That's what I wanted to talk to you about..."  
  
He looked at me, confused and worried.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It's just that... Oh-chan isn't coming today..."  
  
He was silent and sighed.  
  
"I see", there was disappointment in his voice.  
  
I looked at him and saw that he was frowning sadly.  
  
"He wanted to come", I added quickly. "But he couldn't. It was all my fault, I'm sorry"  
  
"Your fault?"  
  
"You see, I'm a research scientist, and right now I'm working on an important project for the University of Tokyo ", I pulled out my wallet and showed him my ID card to prove it was true. "In my spare time, I try to work on different projects. I've been looking to create a special formula for a long time now, a kind of formula with results that have never been achieved before"  
  
"I don't follow you"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Nino and Oh-chan have been good friends, and have tried all of my experiments whenever I asked them to. They've never protested. Though, it's true that the experiments never worked either, so they both know they aren't in any danger"  
  
"Listen, this is all very interesting. You know, that you're a scientist, and you have an undying eagerness to innovate... But, what does that have to do with Ohno not coming today?"  
  
"I'm getting there, just let me explain, please", I begged with my eyes. "On Sunday, I gave one of my experiments to Oh-chan, and he drank it believing it was beer. I didn't want to tell him the truth at first because he and Nino had complained about the awful flavor before, and I knew he'd refuse to drink it", I sighed. "Now I regret not telling him from the start"  
  
"Did you poison him?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No, worse than that", I lowered my voice. "I turned him into a woman"  
  
Sho-kun's eyes widened.  
  
"You have to be kidding me"  
  
"I swear I'm not, Sho-kun. I never thought it'd actually work, that's why I gave it to him without worrying about it. But then we got drunk, celebrating him meeting you again, and we all fell asleep... and the next morning... Oh-chan was a woman"  
  
Sho-kun clicked his tongue.  
  
"Do you really expect me to buy that?"  
  
"I swear it's true. I'm not lying"  
  
"It's impossible for a man to wake up as a woman"  
  
"That's what Oh-chan said, but it happened. And now he's refusing to leave his house. He says he doesn't want anyone to see him like that, which is why I came today"  
  
"OK, just stop this already. If Ohno didn't want to meet me, there was no need to send you here to tell me this story. Just a phone call would've sufficed"  
  
"No!", I exclaimed. "Sho-kun, please, believe me. It's the truth"  
  
"How do you expect me to believe you? Are you even listening to yourself?"  
  
"I know. I know it sounds crazy and weird, but you have to believe me, please. Oh-chan was very excited about meeting with you. In fact, it was one of the first things he thought about after he woke up, even before his exhibitions or that rich guy from Osaka that's interested in buying his paintings"  
  
"Okay, enough", he said, frowning as he stood up. "I don't want to hear any more"  
  
Sho-kun picked up his briefcase, bowed to me, and walked to the door of the café. I followed after him right away and hurried to catch up with him, trying not to draw too much attention from those around us.  
  
"Sho-kun, please", I begged him. "You have to believe me"  
  
"Yeah, sure. I've woken up with braids and freckles myself before"  
  
"It isn't like that. I..."  
  
He stopped in the middle of the street and I stopped with him.  
  
"Listen", he said. "I don't know what's going on, but I don't ever want to see you again, do you understand me? Not you or Ohno"  
  
"No! This isn't Oh-chan's fault. I can prove it!"  
  
Sho-kun raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Come with me"  
  
"Where?"  
  
I looked at him for a moment.  
  
I knew Oh-chan would hate me for it, but it was the only solution.  
  
"To Oh-chan's place"  
  
Sho-kun looked at me, somewhat surprised, but he didn't say anything.  
  
We hopped on the first train that passed and went to Oh-chan's home. I knew my friend would be furious, but I had to risk it. If I didn't, Sho-kun would continue to think that he didn't want to see him and that he'd been rude, standing him up at that café, sending me to tell him a story that no one would believe. And I didn't want that to happen. I wanted Oh-chan and Sho-kun to be able to see each other again, even if Oh-chan was a woman, so they could rebuild the relationship they'd lost so many years ago.  
  
Night was falling when we finally reached the building.  
  
We took the elevator upstairs and I walked to the door of Oh-chan's apartment, with Sho-kun following behind me. Once there, I quickly glanced at my companion and raised my right hand, to push the doorbell. Everything was silent for a few seconds, without any noise on the other side of the door, as if the place was empty, but I knew it wasn't. Oh-chan still refused to leave his house, so I rang the bell again.  
  
"It seems no one's at home", said Sho-kun, seeing there was no reply. "Just as I thought, coming here has been a waste of time "  
  
He tried to walk back to the elevator, but I stopped him.  
  
"Wait! I know he's home"  
  
I turned to the door again and knocked with my knuckles.  
  
"Oh-chan? I know you're in there. Open up, please"  
  
Seeing that I still didn't receive a reply, I began to get nervous.  
  
"Oh-chan?", I insisted, using my knuckles once more. "Please..."  
  
My pleading tone worked, and my friend finally opened the door.  
  
"Aiba-chan, what...?", he stopped mid-sentence, and his eyes widened when he saw I wasn't alone.  
  
Sho-kun's eyes, standing there in front of Oh-chan, widened as well.  
  
I just stood there, watching the two of them.  
  
They looked at each other in silence for a long while.  
  
And I wished with all my might that this wouldn't end in disaster.


	7. Sho

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

When Aiba-kun appeared at that café in Harajuku, I thought fate had something big in store for me. It was the second time that week that I met one of my old high school friends by chance, after more than ten years of not seeing them, but I soon discovered that our meeting was no accident. Aiba-kun had come in Ohno's place, and told me an unbelievable story about Ohno drinking one of his experiments and waking up as a woman. I admit I was curt, but it was only because I was hurt. I felt like he and Ohno were laughing at me, when I was truly looking forward to that meeting. And it hurt.

Aiba-kun said he could prove to me that he was telling the truth and took me to Ohno's place. At first, no one answered the door, as much as he insisted in ringing, so I thought going there had been a terrible waste of my time, and I would've left if he hadn't stopped me, assuring me that Ohno was at home. It was then that the door opened, and a female figure stepped out with a frown on her face.

"Aiba-chan, what...?", she said, but didn't  finish the sentence.

I guess she didn't expect Aiba-kun to not come alone, because she lowered her head right away, blushing furiously, and stared down at the floor. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop looking at her. It was as if someone had heard my wishes and made them come true, conjuring up a female version of Ohno. Exactly like him, but with more delicate and refined features.

She was perfect.

"Oh-chan", said Aiba-kun, biting his lower lip. "Don't get mad, please. I brought Sho-kun because I told him about what happened and he didn't believe me"

"Well, it's...", I cleared my throat. "An odd story. It isn't easy to believe"

"Yeah, even I don't believe it...", Ohno mumbled.

I sighed. Now I regretted my attitude that afternoon.

"I'm sorry I spoke to you the way I did, Aiba-kun", I said.

"You can call me Aiba-chan, like when were kids", he smiled.

I looked at him, surprised.

"Aren't you even a little upset with me?"

"Of course not, Sho-kun. I wouldn't have believed this story either"

I turned to Ohno and looked at her for several seconds.

"In any case, I'm sorry I thought you were making up an excuse to not see me, Ohno", I paused for a moment. "Even now, seeing you with my own eyes, it's hard to believe this is real"

She looked up for first time since we had arrived.

"An excuse not to see you? I was excited about seeing you after so many years...", she looked at herself and sighed. "Until I became this..."

Aiba-chan sighed as well.

"You can't stay inside forever, Oh-chan", he said, with a sad look in his eyes. "You have to go out, lead a normal life. It'll be good for you"

"I can't have a normal life. I'm not normal"

"I think you're very normal", I said, without thinking. "And beautiful"

Aiba-chan and Ohno looked at me at the same time.

"E-Excuse me?", said Ohno, shocked.

I felt my cheeks blushing, and I smiled sheepishly.

"I said... I think you're beautiful..."

Ohno let out a giggle as her cheeks blushed too.

"What are you talking about?", she said, in a soft voice.

"See?", said Aiba-chan. "There's nothing wrong with your body or your face. Sho-kun likes you"

"He's just being nice..."

"That isn't true", I quickly replied. "You're beautiful. Really"

Aiba-chan smiled to himself and checked his watch.

"Oops! It's getting so late!", he exclaimed. "Oh-chan, why don't you invite Sho inside to have a drink? You two can talk about old times, like you had planned"

"Oh, no", I said. "I don't want to be a bother"

Even though the atmosphere was more relaxed, Ohno didn't seem comfortable with my presence. I didn't want to put her in a compromising position and force her to invite me into her place, when she was really wishing I had left. At least now I knew that her absence earlier hadn't been anything personal against me.

"You're no bother at all", Aiba-chan replied, pushing me inside the apartment, before I could react. "I have to go now. I'll see you around!"

I watched as he waved goodbye, showing us his tireless smile, and disappeared, closing the door behind him. Ohno stared at the closed door and then looked at me, though she looked away almost immediately.

"Listen, I don't want to be a bother", I said to her. "We can meet another day, if you want. Now that I've seen that all of this is true, I'm more at ease and the truth is..."

"You can stay", she interrupted me.

I looked at her, caught by surprise.

"Really?"

She nodded and smiled shyly.

She was adorable. And beautiful.

Simply, beautiful.

"Would you like a cup of tea or a beer?", she offered.

"Tea is fine", I replied.

"Okay. Head into the living room, if you want", she said, showing me the way. "I'll go prepare the tea now"

I nodded and walked in the direction she had pointed, entering the living room of her apartment. I sat down in one of the couches, and became aware for first time that a smile had been on my lips from the moment she told me I could stay, and a million butterflies crazily fluttered around my stomach. I just hoped she didn't mind that I spoke to her in feminine terms. I knew that her mind was still the same old Ohno Satoshi's, but her external appearance was so delicate, that it was impossible for me to treat her as a man.

"Sorry for the wait", she said, walking into the living room a few minutes later.

I shook my head, letting her know it was fine, as she set the tray on the table and sat down on another couch. She poured two cups of tea, with that natural sweetness about her, and offered one to me.

"Be careful", she said. "It's hot"

"Thank you", I smiled for umpteenth time.

We both took our spoons and stirred the liquid in silence.

Finally, I was the one who spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure"

"I hope you don't mind me bringing this up, but I was thinking while you were in the kitchen making the tea, that perhaps it bothers you that I speak to you using feminine terms"

Ohno looked at me.

"I didn't even realize it", she replied.

"Really?", I blinked.

She nodded.

"I am... still the same person... and, of course, I'm a man... But I understand that, because of my appearance, it's easier for you to talk to me as a female..."

"If you prefer, I can get used to speaking in masculine terms"

"No, it's fine, really"

"Okay..."

I looked around, not knowing how to continue that conversation, and then I remembered the article I had seen in the newspaper last Sunday.

"By the way", I said. "I saw you in the newspaper on Sunday"

"Eh?"

"Yeah, in the culture section, with that collector from Osaka"

"We were in the newspaper?", she asked, surprised.

She was definitely Ohno.

Only my old high school classmate wouldn't know about something as important as having his picture in the newspaper, talking about his exhibition.

"Yeah", I chuckled. "You were in the newspaper, yeah"

"Well! You didn't happen to keep it by any chance, did you?"

"Yeah, of course. I always keep the papers for a couple of weeks"

"Would you mind if I asked for it? I didn't buy the newspaper on Sunday"

Even if I wanted it, I couldn't say no when she was asking me with those eyes.

"No, of course I don't mind. I'll give it to you the next time we meet"

"Thank you"

The smile on her face lit up mine.

"You know. It's curious, but that article talks about the day we met on the train", she chuckled.

"Oh, yeah? You were back from your exhibition then?"

She nodded eagerly.

"It was the first time in my life that I managed to sell all of my paintings"

"Whoa! Congratulations!", I smiled. "I was heading home from my boring job at the office"

"What is it you do?"

"I'm a financial advisor"

"Sounds important"

"Not really. I just help my customers obtain more benefits from their companies, but let's not talk about that. It's not an interesting topic"

"Okay", she smiled.

There was a silence in which I stared into my cup of tea, thoughtfully.

"You know", I said. "It's weird. Your appearance is different, but you're still Ohno"

She laughed.

"You, on the other hand, have changed a lot", she said. "Since the last time I saw you, ten years ago, your personality is softer, and you laugh more than when we were teenagers. Not to mention that you're completely different physically. It was hard to recognize you on the train"

"When I was a kid, I looked like a monster", I chuckled.

"We all did, with our bodies changing", she looked at herself. "Little did I know that my body would change again after age thirty"

"Why do you say that with such a gloomy face? I know I already told you this, but I think you're a very beautiful woman. Well, even when you aren't really a woman, you understand what I mean"

Ohno let out a giggle that was playful, yet shy.

"You... don't look half bad yourself...", she replied. "The years have been good to you"

She gave me a sweet look that made me smirk.

I don't think she even realized it, but she had subconsciously started to use her feminine wiles. She flirtatiously fluttered her lashes as she moved her hands and body suggestively in her seat, sending me those invisible signals a woman gives when she is interested in the person in front of her. And she was driving me crazy.

Several cups of tea later, after chatting non-stop about everything and nothing, we decided it was time to bring an end to our night, since I needed to catch the last train that would be passing through shortly. Even though I didn't really want to leave, and I don't think she wanted me to leave either.

"Will you call me sometime this week? I'd like to see you again", I asked, already at the door.

"Okay... But you have to come here...", she replied.

"Here? I thought we might go out for dinner or something"

"I don't want to go out looking like this"

"I'm sorry. Since I think you look beautiful, I forgot that you don't want to be seen", I said, putting on my shoes. "Call me whenever it's a good time for you then"

Her cheeks flushed and she nodded with a smile.

"Okay, I'll call you"

"Okay...", I smiled back.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her, or take another step. It was as if my feet were stuck to the floor, and she wasn't making it any easier for me to leave with her attitude. She was eyeing me with a provocative and suggestive look, a look that said it all without words and had me taking off my shoes and walking right back into the house. She took a step back, surprised by my sudden move, and tried to ask me what happened, but I firmly grabbed her waist and kissed her with determination. Gentle, but without hesitation, making her feel just how much I had been wanting to all night, since the very moment she had opened the door and I saw her for the first time.

I could feel her smiling into the kiss, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her body. Seconds later, I moved slightly away from her, with my eyes still closed and breathing heavily, savoring the moment as I bit my lower lip. When I opened my eyes, I looked at her and smiled, just before resting my forehead against hers.

"You're going to miss your train...", she whispered, caressing my cheek.

"As if I could leave now"

"Eh?"

She started to protest, but I shut her mouth with another kiss, this one more intense and hungry than the last, scooping her up into my arms to take her to the bedroom.

She wore men's clothes, no makeup, and had an awful haircut. When I got rid of her t-shirt, I found her bare chest, without an undershirt or a bra, and she wore men's briefs under her pants. But I didn't care. I paid little attention to those details as I kissed and caressed her body.

She was beautiful.

Really beautiful.


	8. Ohno

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I awoke to the feeling of a kiss on my shoulder.  
  
I slowly opened my eyes and blinked, trying to adjust to the few rays of daylight that filtered through the gaps of the half closed blinds. I felt another kiss, this time on my neck, and a warm whisper in my ear made me smile and turn around.  
  
" _Ohayo_ ", it said.  
  
" _Ohayo_ ", I replied, still half asleep.  
  
Sho had turned up at my apartment with Aiba-chan the night before, and what I thought would be an awkward moment, ended up being an awesome night. Undoubtedly, one of the best nights of my life. Now Sho was still there, lying beside me in my bed, staring at me with those eyes full of devotion that I hadn't seen in ten years.  
  
I had missed them so much.  
  
"I'm sorry to wake you", he said, stroking my hair. "But I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye"  
  
"You aren't staying for breakfast?"  
  
"I can't today. I have to work"  
  
"But it's Saturday"  
  
"I know", he sighed. "I work one Saturday every month"  
  
"Oh, well"  
  
"I'm already used to it, after so many years"  
  
I couldn't take my eyes off him.  
  
I still couldn't believe what was happening.  
  
"You can use the bathroom to take a shower, if you want", I said, caressing his cheek. "I'll fix you something quick to eat"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll grab something at the office"  
  
He kissed the palm of my hand, then my forehead, and got up to get into the shower.  
  
I stayed in bed for a minute, with a foolish smile on my lips, and my heart beating really fast. I couldn't believe what I was living. It was such a perfect moment that it didn't seem real, as if it were a dream that might vanish without warning, at any moment. When I came back to the real world, I remembered that Sho was in a rush and got up right away, throwing something on to cover my naked body. I went to the kitchen, and put some rice in the cooker. I don't know how to cook many things, but my mother had taught me how to make onigiri as a teenager, and I figured they'd be useful for Sho that morning, since he couldn't sit down to have breakfast at the table.  
  
I heard him leave the bathroom, and walk around the bedroom while I wrapped the rice balls. He was probably gathering the clothes he had taken off the day before without caring where they fell. I couldn't help blushing as I remembered how he'd kissed me at the door of my apartment and then he took me to my room, where he undressed and caressed every part of me. It had been a moment full of so many incredible sensations that I didn't have the words to describe it.  
  
"Ah, so you were in here", he said, entering the kitchen, putting his jacket on. "I have to leave now, but I'll call you tonight. Or you can call me, if you prefer"  
  
He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me and kissed my cheek, while I wrapped the last onigiri and placed it in one of the _bento_ I used when painting outside. I turned around in his arms and pressed the _bento_ against his chest, with a smile on my lips.  
  
"Take this with you"  
  
He looked down at the _bento_ and took it from my hands.  
  
"You didn't have to"  
  
"It wasn't a bother"  
  
He leaned in and kissed my lips, placing his hand on my nape.  
  
"It isn't much anyway", I said. "I live off takeout and pre-made food because I can't cook, but I didn't want you to leave without eating something"  
  
He opened the _bento_ and noted the contents.  
  
"Onigiri!", he exclaimed, looking at me. "What do they have inside?"  
  
"Tuna and plum. I told you they weren't anything special", I chuckled, embarrassed.  
  
"They're perfect. I love simple food"  
  
"Eh? Really?"  
  
He nodded, set the _bento_ on the counter, and wrapped his arms around me again.  
  
"Thank you...", he whispered. "For everything"  
  
I took his face in my hands and kissed him.  
  
"You're going to be late"  
  
"I know. I'm leaving"  
  
He took the _bento_ , kissed my cheek, and rushed out of the kitchen.  
  
"I'll return the _bento_ to you clean", he said from the front door, putting on his shoes.  
  
I went to see him off, and stood at the edge of the genkan.  
  
"You don't have to, I'll wash it myself"  
  
He kissed me one last time, making me smile again.  
  
" _Ittekimasu_ ", he said, smiling back at me.  
  
" _Itterasshai_ "  
  
And he was gone.  
  
And I stayed in my haze while I cleaned up the kitchen.  
  
I had planned to continue the painting I'd left halfway done the day before, but first I had to shower and get dressed. When I entered my room to get clean clothes, I saw my clothes from the night before were no longer scattered across the floor, but organized in a neat little pile on the bed, and felt a heat rising to my cheeks. Sho had folded everything, including my men's underwear, and I wanted to dig myself a hole to hide in.  
  
I threw the clothes in the washer, took a shower, and got dressed, but instead of continuing my painting, I called my two friends. I needed to tell them what had happened and how I felt, or I would explode. I had too many feelings, too many doubts, and too many contradictory thoughts at the moment.  
  
Aiba-chan and Nino didn't take even half an hour to arrive at my place.  
  
"You slept with him?!"  
  
Nino stopped paying attention to his portable console to look at me with wide eyes.  
  
I felt my cheeks burning from embarrassment.  
  
"Can you not yell?", I asked him. "I don't want the neighbors to hear"  
  
"Let's see", he said, ignoring me. "Let me get this straight. You wouldn't leave the house for days, you didn't want to go buy clothes that fit or even fix that disaster you call hair. And now you're telling us that you slept with Sho-kun? I don't get you at all"  
  
"Nino", said Aiba-chan. "Don't pressure him. In a way, all of this was my fault, not his. I was the one who brought Sho-kun, and told him to go in "  
  
"You say that like it's a bad thing...", I said.  
  
"No, of course it isn't bad, Oh-chan"  
  
"I...", I looked down to my lap. "I appreciate what you did, Aiba-chan"  
  
"And you wouldn't even let me touch your boobs!", Nino snorted, going back to his videogame.  
  
Aiba-chan sat down next to me on the couch.  
  
"Don't mind him, you know Nino", he smiled. "I don't think it's wrong that you slept with Sho-kun, if that's how you felt, Oh-chan"  
  
"I got a little carried away, but... I really like him... He's a gentleman, and very thoughtful. He speaks to me affectionately, gives me his full attention, and... I know he isn't lying when he says that I'm beautiful... His eyes tell me so"  
  
"He tells you he thinks you're beautiful and you're OK with that?", Nino asked.  
  
"Nino!", Aiba-chan exclaimed. "Mind your own business, and leave us alone"  
  
"If a guy told me he thought I was beautiful, I'd take a swipe at him at least. Even when Oh-chan has the appearance of a woman, he's still a man, and Sho-kun knows it"  
  
I fidgeted with my fingers on my lap, as I usually did when I was nervous.  
  
"He asked me if I minded him speaking to me as a woman, and I told him it was alright. If he feels more comfortable that way, I'm okay with it"  
  
"Seriously?!"  
  
Now Nino looked at me puzzled.  
  
"I don't think there's anything wrong with that", Aiba-chan said. "I think it's just a matter of time before he gets used to you being a man, despite having the appearance of a woman, and he starts speaking to you as a man"  
  
"I don't know. He seems comfortable speaking to me in feminine terms"  
  
"Anyway, what does it matter? It's just a way of speaking. The important thing is that he likes you, Oh-chan. Even though you now have the appearance of a woman, you're still the same person, and he likes you as you are"  
  
"Do you really think so?"  
  
Aiba-chan nodded with enthusiasm.  
  
"Sho-kun has never been the kind of person to sleep with someone just because he feels attracted to their body. He never did it, even when we were teenagers"  
  
"You're right, but... I don't have women's clothes in my closet..."  
  
Aiba-chan nodded again.  
  
"So what?", he asked.  
  
"This morning Sho folded my clothes... and... my briefs were there... and... I felt extremely embarrassed"  
  
There were many reasons why I remembered every detail of the night before.  
  
The first was the way Sho had touched me. He had been softer and more thorough than any other man I had been with, but at the same time he was firm and determined. He knew very well what he wanted to do and the rhythm to follow and he had me touching heaven with the tips of my fingers.  
  
The second was how my new body made me experience a million unknown sensations. The caresses I'd felt many other times in my man body, caused completely different sensations now, and I realized my erogenous zones had changed. I felt strange, but Sho knew exactly what he was doing, and had managed to sweep me off my feet, so I thought of nothing else.  
  
And the third was the moment of shame I lived in the morning.  
  
I regretted more than ever not going out to buy women's underwear. It's true that the last thing I'd imagined was that Sho would show up at my home, let alone that we would end up in bed together. Everything had taken me by surprise, and I didn't even have time to be aware of anything until I saw my clothes folded on the bed.  
  
"Why would you feel embarrassed?", Aiba-chan asked. "I showed up here with him suddenly, so it's normal that you weren't ready. I'm sure Sho-kun understood"  
  
"He didn't say anything, but I don't know..."  
  
"Did he do something last night? I mean, when he saw your underwear. Did he say anything or act surprised?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Nothing. In fact, I forgot all about it and got carried away in the moment. But this morning, when he left, I couldn't help feeling embarrassed"  
  
Nino snorted once more, but didn't say anything.  
  
Aiba-chan was pensive for a minute, then looked over at me.  
  
"Oh-chan, why don't we go shopping together?", he said.  
  
"Eh?! No way! I'm not going out like this"  
  
"It won't take that long. We can go to the department store, buy some underwear, get you a haircut, and then come right back. I'm sure two hours will be more than enough time"  
  
"Two hours in a department store full of people? No way!"  
  
"I can't do that kind of shopping for you", Aiba-chan pouted.  
  
"I don't want to wear women’s clothes, of any kind"  
  
"But you're going to feel ashamed again, Oh-chan"  
  
"I don't think it'll happen again. What happened yesterday was a one-time thing. I'm sure that... that... Sho-kun knows other women who are a thousand times better than me"  
  
"Don't say that!"  
  
Nino looked at me over his console.  
  
"He hasn't known any for thirteen years now", he said.  
  
"It's the same with me", I replied. "We hadn't seen each other in more than ten years"  
  
"Oh-chan, look at you", Nino chuckled. "You're still the same. You haven't changed"  
  
After that, he immediately went back to his game. I blushed.  
  
"Nino's right", Aiba-chan said.  
  
"Okay, whatever", I cleared my throat. "But I'm not going to wear a bra and panties"  
  
Aiba-chan gave me a sad look, but stopped insisting.  
  
Of all the things that had happened when I turned into a woman, the thing I hated the most was my chest. It was uncomfortable and made stupid shapes in my t-shirts. Not to mention the curves in my hips made those same t-shirts too tight at my waist, and I had to roll them over my stomach a little.  
  
I refused to accept that I was going stay that way forever.  
  
With that horrible body.


	9. Jun

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I stared at my computer screen.  
  
Sho had sent me an e-mail that night saying that Ohno was now a woman, that he was crazy about her. And I didn't understand a thing. As much as I read the e-mail over and over again, I couldn't stop thinking how surreal and nearly impossible it all sounded. And I say _nearly_ because it was Sho who was telling me these things. Otherwise, I would say flat out that it was impossible.  
  
Ohno. A woman.  
  
I leaned on my desk and scratched my forehead. I wanted to speak with Sho right away, but in his e-mail he said he was late for work, and that he would give more details later that night. Damned time difference! It was already night for me, and I was going mad thinking about everything he had already told me. I most likely wouldn't be able to get it out of my head until I spoke with him.  
  
When I went to bed, I could hardly sleep. I just tossed and turned, thinking that the strangest part to all of this was that Sho had accepted the situation as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As much as he denied it, I knew he had feelings for Ohno and the only reason he refused to accept it was the fact that the two of them were men, but it still struck me as odd that Sho had accepted him as a woman so easily. I was afraid that Sho only saw it as a way to be able to go out with him without any of his stupid prejudices coming between them, and that he hadn't even stopped to really think about the situation.  
  
In the morning, I replied to his e-mail as soon as I woke up, demanding that he sign on Skype at noon, Spanish time. In Japan it would be the late afternoon, so Sho shouldn't be at the office anymore, and the topic needed to be discussed urgently, before my friend did anything stupid. I knew Sho thought about things a lot, sometimes even too much, and he didn't easily lose sight of reality, but the Ohno situation was so unreal, that judging by the words in his e-mail, it seemed as though he had lost sense of the thin line that separates what actually happens from what one wishes to happen. And it worried me. Especially, because I knew that if he did something impulsive and regretted it later, he would have a hard time getting over it. Sho tends to punish himself too much.  
  
It was almost two in the afternoon when I was finally able to sit down in front of the computer, with my lunch, impatiently waiting for Sho's call. He wasn't online at the moment, so I decided to e-mail him to let him know that I was free to talk, and waited.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, he signed on and called me. I answered immediately.  
  
"Hi", he said with a smile.  
  
"Hi, Sho"  
  
I settled back in my chair, and waited for him to begin the conversation.  
  
"I know you must be thinking I'm crazy", he said.  
  
"I don't. It's true that the situation shocked me, and I haven't stopped thinking about it, but it's mostly because I'm worried about you. I don't think you're crazy"  
  
Sho remained silent, still smiling.  
  
"She's a woman...", he said.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, Jun. I've seen it with my own eyes and...", he giggled at the same time his cheeks blushed. "I've touched her body with my hands"  
  
"You touched her?!"  
  
My friend nodded.  
  
"We... slept together... you know..."  
  
"You were careful, right?"  
  
"What do you mean?", he looked at me, confused.  
  
"If you used condom, Sho. I think you should always use one, no matter who it is, but especially in this case. If her body really is that of a woman, she could possibly get pregnant"  
  
My friend looked down and frowned.  
  
"I hadn't thought about that..."  
  
I knew it.  
  
Sho was careful and prudent. Even though I had never asked him before, I was more than certain he didn't go around having unprotected sex, and now he was telling me that he hadn't even given it a thought. He was on a cloud of happiness that blinded him, and it was starting to seriously concern me. I loved to see him happy and in love, but I didn't want it to end up making him suffer.  
  
"You didn't use protection, then?", I insisted.  
  
My friend's cheeks turned crimson.  
  
"No"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Okay. Don't worry. Maybe she can't get pregnant"  
  
"Do you think so?"  
  
"Well, I don't know. I've never known a man who turned into a woman before, but perhaps her biological functions are still those of a man. I can't say for sure."  
  
"What if it isn't like that?"  
  
I looked at him.  
  
"If not, then you'd have to be really good to get her pregnant on the first try", I chuckled. "Seriously, don't worry about it. Just make sure you're careful from now on"  
  
"Okay", he nodded, but he didn't seem very convinced.  
  
I preferred to change the topic.  
  
"Why am I using feminine terms? It's Ohno we're talking about", I chuckled again.  
  
"Because she's a woman now"  
  
"I think it's just that he has the body of a woman"  
  
"A beautiful woman..."  
  
Sho giggled again, just like before.  
  
"I don't doubt that", I replied. "Truth be told, Ohno has never been ugly, even with a man's body. But he's not really a woman, Sho. He's the same Ohno, locked in a female body by accident"  
  
"You're right about that. He is the same Ohno. Although I like to view her as a woman, with her sweet and delicate gestures..."  
  
"But that's like living a lie"  
  
He looked at me in silence.  
  
"Why do you say that?", he asked.  
  
"Sho", I sighed again. "A few days ago you told me that if Ohno had been a woman when we were in high school, you would've gone out with him. I understand your wish has come true, and you're on cloud nine, but think about his feelings. Even when his new body makes you happy, did you ever ask him how he feels about it?"  
  
Sho looked down again, and was silent for a few seconds.  
  
"No", he admitted.  
  
I sighed. Again.  
  
"I don't think it's easy for him, Sho. Imagine one night you go to bed, and then wake up the next morning as a woman. How would you feel?"  
  
"Not very well, I suppose", he looked at me. "Now that you mention it, Aiba-chan told me that she hasn't wanted to go out at all since she woke up with that body, and she asked me to meet at her place next time we saw each other"  
  
"See? He must be having a hard time"  
  
"But she looked so happy while we were together. She didn't even mind me speaking to her as a woman, and when I took her to her bedroom and took off her clothes, she didn't seem worried about her body"  
  
"I don't know, Sho. Be careful, okay? It's a delicate subject. You could hurt him, and hurt yourself. The best thing for you to do is talk to him. Openly ask him how he feels and listen to him"  
  
"What if she gets offended?"  
  
"Putting myself in his place, I think I'd like to be listened to"  
  
"You're right"  
  
"And I think you should ask him about pregnancy too"  
  
"Eh?! Ask him?"  
  
"Yeah. I assume he'd know if he gets a period and such"  
  
My cheeks turned as red as Sho's.  
  
It was so awkward talking about that stuff.  
  
"W-Well, according to what Aiba-chan told me, she's been a woman for around a week. Maybe she hasn't had... err... you know... yet"  
  
"I see. Maybe he should take a pregnancy test then"  
  
"But she doesn't want to leave the house"  
  
"Go buy it yourself and bring it to him"  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Then how are you going to know if something happened?"  
  
"You said it yourself. I'd have to be very good to get her pregnant on the first try. I don't think anything will happen. And if it does, she'll tell me"  
  
I sighed for the umpteenth time in that conversation.  
  
"As you wish. It's your decision"  
  
"Jun, don't worry. I'm fine. I'm happy, and I want to make her happy"  
  
"That isn't what worries me. I know you're happy right now"  
  
"What's the matter, then? Why are you making that face?"  
  
"What if Ohno's body goes back to being that of a man? Tomorrow, for example. Just as he woke up a woman, he could wake up as a man again. What would you do?"  
  
Sho didn't reply, but I could read the expression on his face.  
  
"You didn't think about it, right?", I insisted.  
  
"No", he whispered.  
  
"You said in your e-mail that you love him, and just now told me that you want to make him happy, but I also know how stubborn you are. If tomorrow he wakes up with a man's body, I know you'd be an idiot and would stop seeing him. But what would happen then? Would you be able to give up the happiness you feel right now so easily?"  
  
"I don't know", he sighed. "I really love her, but if she's a man again... I don't know if I could be with her... I don't know what I would do, I need to be in the actual situation"  
  
"If you really love him, as you say, you should be able to be with him anyway"  
  
"It's not that easy"  
  
"Yeah, I know. We've already had this conversation"  
  
"I want to get married and have children, Jun. To start a family"  
  
"Then you should be praying that she's pregnant"  
  
He looked at me with wide eyes, I laughed.  
  
"Don't joke about this", he said, with a serious face.  
  
"Don't take it so seriously"  
  
"I don't even want to think about how messy things would get with a pregnancy"  
  
"You're right, I shouldn't treat it so lightly. Sorry"  
  
He nodded, pensive.  
  
"Hey", I said. "So tell me, how was your night together?"  
  
"I'm not giving you any details, pervert"  
  
"I don't want details", I chuckled. "But I'm curious. Does he behave like the rest of women you've been with? Or does he behave like a man?"  
  
"I don't know how men behave in bed"  
  
"You understood me, ass"  
  
"I don't know, Jun. What do you want me to say? She likes to be touched in the same places as the other women, if that's what you want to know"  
  
"But it must've been interesting to see how his reaction to all those new sensations"  
  
"For God's sake, Jun! I wasn't paying attention to that"  
  
"You deflowered him as woman", I laughed.  
  
"Shut up"  
  
"You took his sweet flower~~"  
  
"Seriously, shut up"  
  
I cracked up. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll stop", I said, trying to be serious.  
  
"I have to go, anyway"  
  
"Now that things were getting interesting?"  
  
"Yeah, I want to call Ohno"  
  
"Oh! A love call~"  
  
"Shut up already", he giggled.  
  
"Well, okay then, since you're abandoning me for your little sweetheart, I'll go see if I can do something productive, since I hardly got any work done this morning thanks to you"  
  
Sho smiled.  
  
"Thank you for worrying, Jun"  
  
I smiled back.  
  
"Go, and save your sweet words for Ohno", I winked.  
  
He giggled again.  
  
"Take care", he said. "And come see us!"  
  
"When you have a child", I chuckled.  
  
"Seriously, you're the worst", he chuckled with me. "See you soon"  
  
" _Hasta luego_ ", I replied in Spanish.  
  
When I hung up, I cleaned up my empty plate with a smile on my face.  
  
The situation still worried me, mostly because Ohno could suddenly turn into a man again, but seeing Sho so happy had calmed me down, somehow. I felt good for him, and I wanted it to last forever, since I knew how hard it would be for Sho if his bubble of happiness was popped at some point. I had seen it before, with his previous relationships, and he always had a hard time recovering from it.  
  
I just hoped the two of them were really happy with each other.  
  
And that Ohno wasn't giving up too much for Sho.


	10. Sho

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

When she opened the door, my face lit up.  
  
We talked every day, told things to each other, laughed, but I couldn't help missing her touch. Every minute I spent away from her was eternal. I wanted to see her again as soon as possible, but my work kept me busy, and several days passed until I could go to her place again. When I finally had her in my arms and felt her small body against mine, hugging me, telling me that she had missed as much as I had missed her, I knew the wait had been worth it.  
  
"You folded my clothes the other day", she said, slightly moving away to look at me.  
  
"Yeah", I replied, caressing her cheek. "It's a habit of mine, tidying up the room before leaving. Why? Did it bother you?"  
  
"No, not at all. I was just surprised to walk in and see the bed made, with my clothes perfectly folded on it. I thought it was a cute gesture"  
  
"Well", I chuckled. "You made me breakfast. That was pretty cute too"  
  
Her cheeks blushed.  
  
"I only wanted to make sure you ate something. That's all"  
  
"See? You're cute"  
  
I leaned in to kiss her lips. She took my face in her hands.  
  
"I'm so glad you're here...", she said.  
  
"Me too. You can't imagine how much I wanted to see you"  
  
She bit her lower lip and nuzzled my cheek with her nose.  
  
"Let's go to bed", she whispered.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask"  
  
I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to her bedroom, where I gently set her down on the bed and laid over her to kiss her again. I caressed her sides over her clothes as she wrapped her arms around my neck and played with the hair at my nape, but she stopped me when I tried to start taking off her clothes.  
  
"Wait", she said. "I feel embarrassed. Do you mind if I take off my clothes in the bathroom?"  
  
"Eh? I don't mind, but..."  
  
Her cheeks turned red.  
  
"It's because of my underwear"  
  
"Your underwear?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I'm wearing men's briefs. It's embarrassing for you to see me wearing them"  
  
I couldn't help smiling. She was really adorable.  
  
"I saw them the other day", I said.  
  
I kissed her neck and tried to move on, but she stopped me again.  
  
"I would feel more comfortable if I took off my clothes in the bathroom"  
  
"Okay", I gently caressed her cheek. "Go to the bathroom then. I'll wait here for you"  
  
"Okay"  
  
She kissed my lips and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  
  
I flopped on the bed and sighed.  
  
I was so happy that I still couldn't believe all of it was really happening. I took off my clothes so that she didn't feel awkward when she came out of the bathroom naked and I was still fully dressed, but when I stood up to take off my pants, I noticed there was a painting in a corner of the room, leaning and facing the wall. I approached it, setting my pants aside, and turned it around, thinking it would be one of her paintings, but when I saw it, I froze. It turned out not to be a painting, but a mirror that had been smashed in one corner and completely cracked. My eyes widened when I saw there were a few drops of blood in center of the smashed area.  
  
"I'm ready", Ohno's voice came from the door of the bathroom.  
  
I immediately let go of the mirror, turned around and looked at her. She had put a bathrobe on to cover herself, and was staring at the floor, biting her lower lip, her cheeks slightly pink. And I felt that I could die right there.  
  
It was like a dream come true.  
  
"Come here", I said, going back to bed.  
  
She sat down next to me, slipping under the sheets.  
  
"What happened to that mirror?", I asked, stroking her hair.  
  
"It broke and I had to remove it"  
  
"It looked like it had been hit"  
  
"Yeah, it fell and when it hit the floor, it cracked"  
  
I grabbed her right hand, bandaged to the wrist, and gently caressed it.  
  
"I saw the blood"  
  
She didn't say anything.  
  
"You broke it, right?", I told her, sweetly kissing her hand. "Why did you do it?"  
  
"Because... I don't want to see myself..."  
  
Jun was right.  
  
Ohno was suffering with the change. So much that she didn't even want to see herself, but I was so determined to pretend that she was a real woman that I hadn't even noticed it. I was so comfortable on my cozy little cloud that I didn't want to come down and see the reality of things, to see that the person I loved was still a man and was unhappy trapped inside a body that wasn't his own, to the point of getting rid of every mirror in his home. I had been selfish and hadn't thought about his feelings. I had only thought about me and my stupid obsession of being with a woman, getting married, and having children. But now I realized everything.  
  
I had always been in love with Ohno, even when he'd had a man's body.  
  
"I'm sorry", I told him, caressing his bandaged hand. "Forgive me, Satoshi. I've been selfish and didn't think about your feelings. I'm really sorry"  
  
He looked at me with wide eyes.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Jun was constantly telling me, but I didn't want to listen to him. He said I was in love with you, that I had a foolish face whenever I looked at you, and that I followed you around everywhere as if I were your bodyguard, but I didn't want to admit it and always lied to myself, believing that I only had some kind of protective feeling towards you"  
  
"Sho..."  
  
"I've been an idiot. All this time, since we were kids"  
  
"Don't say that. You've always made me happy, Sho"  
  
I looked at him, confused.  
  
"Really? But... all this time denying what I felt for you..."  
  
He shook his head and smiled.  
  
"When we were kids, I probably felt something for you as well, but I didn't even know it. I liked being with you, and you made me happy being by my side, protecting me and being my friend. Back then, I didn't need anything else, I didn't ask for anything else from you. And now... Now I'm happier than ever, thanks to you"  
  
"Satoshi, I've treated you as a woman, thinking only of myself and my own happiness. Although I now realize that happiness wasn't as real as I thought, it wasn't right. I've been selfish"  
  
"You accepted me from the first moment you saw me, when even I refused to accept my appearance. The mirror is proof of that. And you told me I was beautiful, and kissed me with desire. I don't mind if you feel more comfortable speaking to me using feminine terms. You want this body that I hated from the start. You can't imagine how much that means to me, and how happy you make me just being here today, with me"  
  
"You're the one who makes me happy"  
  
I took his face in my hands and kissed him, slowly and deliberately, savoring every second. He sighed into the kiss, and I kissed him down his neck to his shoulder, slowly getting rid of the white bathrobe, and leaving his nakedness exposed. He was a man, but his woman body was so soft, so beautiful. And I was the only one who could see and touch it.  
  
"Make love to me, Sho...", he sighed with pleasure.  
  
"Wait", I said.  
  
Both of us were completely naked, when I remembered Jun's words.  
  
"What's the matter?", he frowned.  
  
"Wait just a second"  
  
I got up, grabbed my pants, and searched the pockets.  
  
"What are you looking for?", he asked.  
  
I pulled out my wallet and opened it.  
  
"This", I said, showing him a condom.  
  
I dropped my pants and wallet, and went back to bed, where I gave it to him.  
  
"Put in on me"  
  
He took it and looked at it.  
  
"Just in case", I explained myself, even though he hadn't asked me. "I don't know how your body works right now. It changed by itself, because of that thing you drank and I don't know just how much of a woman you are. You understand me, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah...", he looked at me, biting his lower lip. "I'm not sure myself"  
  
My heart began to beat fast when I saw his face, looking kind of worried.  
  
"Have you... noticed anything...?", I asked him. "You know, anything different"  
  
Jun's words echoed over and over again in my head. I would have to be very good to hit the first time, but it wasn't impossible. There was a small chance that wouldn't stop nagging me since I'd had that conversation with my friend, but I didn't know how to speak about it with Satoshi.  
  
Maybe this was my chance.  
  
"I bled a little yesterday and today, and I feel pain sometimes", he said.  
  
Satoshi's cheeks turned bright red.  
  
"Well", I cleared my throat. "I have no idea about these things, but I do have a sister and she usually feels pain when she has her period. She says she has cramps"  
  
"That's the feeling I have. As if I had small cramps", he bit his lower lip again. "I've been looking on the Internet because I got a bit scared, and it said that the first few times girls have their period it isn't very abundant, but you can feel cramps"  
  
"Maybe that's what happened with you"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I've noticed my chest is kind of sensitive too, but all the websites I've been reading they said it was normal, that it's a part of the biological cycle or something. I didn't understand it very well"  
  
"I was right to bring a condom, then", I chuckled nervously.  
  
"Yeah", he shyly giggled. "I'm not sure yet, but maybe I can get pregnant"  
  
"Well, at least we know nothing has happened for now", I smiled, somehow relieved, though I was trying to reassure him as well.  
  
"Eh?", he looked at me and blinked. "Had you thought about it before?"  
  
"Well... yeah... a little..."  
  
I chuckled with embarrassment as I felt my cheeks burning.  
  
"It hadn't even crossed my mind", he said. "As a man, these things don't happen to me. It didn't occur to me that they could possibly happen now"  
  
"If we're careful, nothing will happen"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I can't imagine myself pregnant", he chuckled. "I already have enough on my plate with being a woman, and now getting a period"  
  
I couldn't help chuckling with him, and caressed his cheek.  
  
"You're adorable, Satoshi"  
  
He giggled and opened the condom.  
  
"Since you brought it, let's make the most of it"  
  
"Sounds good to me", I replied, with a playful smirk.  
  
That night was special.  
  
Satoshi's chest hurt and it bothered him when I was on top, so we decided to switch positions and he straddled me, allowing me to watch his naked body for the first time while we made love. But that wasn't the only special thing. I felt that, after our two conversations, a special bond had formed between us, a familiarity we didn't have before, and it made me feel closer than ever to him.  
  
Back in high school if someone had told me that my classmate, the one who drew on my books and fell asleep in class, would one day turn into a woman and I would end up realizing that I had always been madly in love with him, I would have laughed in their face. But I wasn't laughing now. I didn't care if he was a woman or a man. I loved him. I wanted to be with him, enjoy life with him, talk to him, laugh with him, even live with him one day and be able to see him every morning when I woke up.  
  
I couldn't ask for anything else.  
  
Just to be with him. Forever.


	11. Nino

_**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))_  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I didn't understand any of it.  
  
When Oh-chan turned into a woman and ran from Aiba-chan's place like a bat out of hell, I never imagined things would get so complicated. First, he cut his hair and took down all the mirrors in his apartment, retreating into his art, saying he would never leave the house while he had that appearance. And now, a month later, he said he didn't mind being a woman anymore. He was driving me crazy with his radical changes in attitude, but anything was better than seeing him depressed, ashamed of his body and saying that he hated himself.  
  
I guess his change had something to do with Aiba-chan's idea. He went to meet Sho-kun to explain to him that Oh-chan didn't want to leave the house because he had turned into a woman, but Sho-kun didn't believe him and Aiba-chan had the idea of taking him to Oh-chan's place so that he could see the truth with his own eyes. Apparently, Sho-kun was fascinated when he saw Oh-chan in his female form, and everything changed. They began seeing each other, and Oh-chan was smiling again. I liked to see him happy, but at the same time I was scared. When he was a man, Sho-kun didn't seem to pay any attention to him, but now that he was a woman, he said he was in love with him. I didn't want to think negatively, I hoped that everything was genuine and that they were truly happy, but a part of me couldn't help thinking that, if someday Oh-chan were to wake up as a man again, everything between them would end.  
  
"He said that he has always been in love with me, since high school", said Oh-chan, sitting down on my living room floor. "And he's started treating me as a man, without me asking him to"  
  
"Well...", Aiba exclaimed, his mouth open.  
  
"He calls me Satoshi", he giggled.  
  
"Oh-chan", I told him, pausing my videogame to look at him. "Are you sure about this? I haven't seen you like this in a long time, but don't you think you're moving a little too fast?"  
  
"I don't know, Nino. It seemed unreal to me as well, like it's too good to be true, but at the same time, I believe Sho. You should see the way he looks at me when he tells me all those things, and how he touches me when we're together. Something inside is telling me that his feelings are real, they aren't something temporary"  
  
"But are you sure you want to dress like a woman? A few days ago you refused to do it. You didn't even want to fix your hair"  
  
"It's not that I want to dress like a woman", he said. "It's just that... Sho seems to like my new appearance, even when he speaks to me as a man... he likes my body... and I thought that maybe... I could try to look a little more feminine, in my appearance... For him"  
  
I sighed.  
  
"Do as you please"  
  
Oh-chan lowered his head.  
  
"I don't want to feel embarrassed again... the next time he takes my clothes off..."  
  
"Why would you feel embarrassed?", Aiba-chan asked.  
  
"Because of my underwear. Last time I took my clothes off in the bathroom, so that he wouldn't see me, but I don't want it to always be like that. The first time we were together, when he undressed me, I liked it better"  
  
"You've already decided then?", I asked him.  
  
"Well... if Sho likes this body... I'm fine with it..."  
  
"Nothing left to say then. Let's go shopping!", Aiba-chan exclaimed.  
  
I looked at him and blinked.  
  
"Wait! What do you mean? We're going too?"  
  
"Well, you can stay, if you want to. I'm going with Oh-chan"  
  
"Thank you", our friend smiled.  
  
"Sure! Like I'd let you go and have all the fun yourself. I'm going too. Since he won't allow me to touch his boobs, I want to at least see him trying underwear on"  
  
"Nino!", Oh-chan started to protest, but wound up shaking his head and laughing. "You really have no remedy"  
  
"What's the point in having a woman friend if I can't touch or see anything?", I snorted.  
  
"As if I'd let you see me!"  
  
"Your loss. When it comes to lingerie, I have impeccable taste"  
  
"Sho has finer taste than you, I doubt he likes those tiny thongs you seem to love so much"  
  
"I wouldn't mind seeing you in a thong, but that wasn't what I had in mind"  
  
I grabbed a magazine Aiba-chan and I had come across a few days ago in a lingerie shop, just in case Oh-chan happened to change his mind and wanted to take a look at some point, and flipped through its pages. When I found what I was looking for, I handed the magazine to Oh-chan.  
  
"It would be something like this"  
  
"EH?!", Aiba-chan's eyes widened. "Amazing! It's sexy, but elegant at the same time. I never thought you would like something like this, Nino"  
  
"Well, I don't like women, but I certainly know how to differentiate sexy from tasteless"  
  
Oh-chan closed the magazine and looked at me with a serious expression.  
  
"Okay, you can come. But if you do anything stupid, you're gone. I don't want to end up even more embarrassed than I'm already going to be"  
  
"Bah, they'll see you as a woman. Who cares?"  
  
The three of us went to Shinjuku, to one of the department stores near the station, and entered a shop where the sister of one Aiba-chan's friends used to buy her underwear. She recommended it to us, saying they had a little bit of everything, especially cute and sexy things, and we figured that could be Oh-chan's style. Cute stuff for everyday wear, and sexy for when he'd be expecting his beloved Sho-kun.  
  
We were checking out different combinations for a good while. The female clerks would stare at us from time to time, though they tried to pretend and acted normal whenever we asked them something. I guess they were used to seeing men shopping for underwear with their wives or girlfriends, but not two men with one woman, who, on top of it all, was dressed in baggy men's clothes.  
  
"Well, we have a few options at least", Aiba-chan said.  
  
"Yeah, I think they're enough. Oh-chan, now it's your turn to try them on"  
  
Our friend nodded in silence and entered the fitting room.  
  
His face had turned red since we'd entered the shop, and the blush never left his cheeks, not for one second. Aiba-chan and I tried to act normal to make him feel less awkward, but he kept looking around, as if he were afraid of running into someone who might recognize him. Honestly, not even I, who was one of his best friends since we were kids, would've been able to recognize him if I didn't already know what had happened to him.  
  
"Do you think he'll feel comfortable?", asked Aiba-chan, worried.  
  
"I don't know, honestly. I'm not sure about this whole situation, at all"  
  
"Me neither. I'm worried that he's forcing himself for Sho-kun"  
  
"Me too, but there's nothing we can do about it. It's Oh-chan's decision. We just give him advice when he asks for it, like today, and be there for him, whenever he needs us"  
  
"I know", he bit his lower lip. "I still feel guilty, Nino"  
  
"Well, you brought Sho-kun out of the closet. You should be proud"  
  
Aiba-chan sighed.  
  
"I'm serious. I have to get Oh-chan his body back"  
  
"Don't pressure yourself. One day at a time, Aiba-chan"  
  
At that moment, the fitting room curtain opened slightly and Oh-chan stuck his head out.  
  
"I'm ready", he said.  
  
"Show us then", I replied, trying to open the curtain.  
  
Oh-chan held onto it firmly.  
  
"No"  
  
"But then we can't give you our opinion"  
  
"Promise you won't laugh "  
  
"Of course we won't", Aiba-chan said.  
  
"If you laugh, I'm not showing you any more"  
  
"We aren't going to laugh", I replied, tugging at the curtain again. "Let us see, come on. We still have to go to Shibuya to buy you clothes, and then get your hair cut"  
  
Oh-chan finally let go of the curtain and both Aiba-chan and I were speechless.  
  
No wonder Sho-kun had fallen in love with him. Oh-chan was a very feminine woman, with almost perfect curves, but at the same time, he was adorable and stirred up a feeling of tenderness. And that matching bra and panty set looked perfect on him. It fit his style and enhanced his figure.  
  
Sho-kun would go crazy when he saw him.  
  
"I look awful, I knew it", Oh-chan snorted.  
  
"No, no", I said. "You look hot"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"You're gorgeous, Oh-chan", Aiba-chan supported me. "Sho-kun is going to flip when he sees you"  
  
"My thoughts exactly", I chuckled.  
  
The blush came back to our friend's cheeks, who smiled shyly.  
  
"I'll try on the rest then"  
  
He tried on around ten or twelve combinations that afternoon, and each time he pulled back the curtain he looked more comfortable. By the end, it was as if he'd been wearing bras and panties all his life. He'd examine himself in the mirror, and turn from side to side, checking to see how the combination looked on his figure. Aiba-chan and I looked at each other and shared a knowing smile. For the first time since he'd turned into a woman, Oh-chan was looking into a mirror without crying, and even seemed to enjoy it.  
  
When we had finished in Shinjuku, we went to Shibuya to buy some ladies' clothes in a size that he could wear without everyone on the street turning around to stare at him, and our final stop was back in his neighborhood, to his usual hairdresser, where we had arranged an appointment to fix the disaster he'd made of his hair.  
  
"Would you be so kind as to tell me your full name so that I can register you in the computer?", the receptionist asked him.  
  
"Yeah, sure", Oh-chan said. "It's Ohno Sato... er... mi"  
  
"Ohno Satomi-san?"  
  
Oh-chan nodded. Aiba-chan and I looked at each other.  
  
"Very well. That'll be 4500yen, please"  
  
Oh-chan paid and when we left the place, I turned to him.  
  
"Ohno Satomi?", I chuckled.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"If I'm going to be a woman, I can't go around calling myself Ohno Satoshi. I will use the same kanji as my real name, but I'll tell everyone it's read as Satomi"  
  
"Good thinking!", Aiba-chan exclaimed.  
  
"And how are you going to explain your amazing resemblance to someone who has the same kanji as you? Not to mention that you both live at the same residence"  
  
"I have it all figured out"  
  
I looked at Aiba-chan, then at Oh-chan.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I'll say I'm Satoshi's twin sister. Officially, I'm spending some time in Tokyo with my brother, so that'll explain how we're the same age as well"  
  
"Brilliant! It's an excellent plan, Oh-chan!"  
  
Our friend smiled sheepishly.  
  
"I thought about calling that collector from Osaka", he said. "These past few months, I've had enough time to paint and I think I'll be able to hold a new exhibition soon, if I'm given the opportunity. I'll call him and tell him that I'll be in charge of my brother's exhibitions for the time being, because he's going through one of those phases of maximum inspiration that artists have, and he wants to make the most of it and paint as much as he can, without being disturbed"  
  
"You're going to make yourself look like a weirdo?"  
  
"Well, most artists are pretty eccentric, no?"  
  
He winked. I chuckled.  
  
"You scare me sometimes, Oh-chan. The way your brain works is amazing"  
  
"Thanks for the compliment", he laughed.  
  
Minutes later, we left Oh-chan at his place and we went to the train station. Aiba-chan seemed more relaxed after seeing that Oh-chan was doing better, and that he wasn't changing things just for Sho-kun.  
  
"Looks like he's going to be fine", he said.  
  
"At least he goes out now"  
  
He nodded and was silent for a while, thinking to himself.  
  
"You know, Nino. I'm starting to think that maybe all of this was an act of fate"  
  
"Could be", I smiled. "Come on, put those thoughts aside for now. I'll treat you to lunch"  
  
"You treat me? YOU?"  
  
He looked at me, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I'll treat you. But don't think I won't want my share of sex in exchange later on"  
  
"I knew it was too good to be true", he chuckled.  
  
I smirked.  
  
Aiba-chan and I caught the next train, and made the most of our afternoon.


	12. Ohno

__**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I turned over the mirror that had been standing against my wall.  
  
I was wearing tight jeans and one of the many t-shirts I had bought with Nino and Aiba-chan days ago, and for the first time in a long time, I wanted to look at myself in a mirror. My reflection hadn't changed since the last time I had seen it. I still had my female features, but now I had a normal haircut and clothes that fit me. I looked myself up and down, then turned a little to see how my jeans looked from the back, and smiled with satisfaction Sho would like definitely them.  
  
My gaze turned away from my reflection and shifted to the high heels that were resting on one side of the room. Nino had said they would make me taller and would accentuate my figure, and men liked that. I wasn't that sure about it, but I still practiced for several days, wearing them for hours while I was at home in order to keep my balance and not look like a drunken moose. I always ended up with aching feet, but it's true that I liked myself more when I wore them, and I was seriously considering wearing them that night.  
  
At that moment, the chime of my cellphone distracted me.  
  
" _Moshi-moshi_ ~", I answered.  
  
"Are you ready?", Sho's voice reached me from the other end of the line.  
  
I couldn't help smiling as I looked at myself in the mirror again.  
  
"I think so"  
  
"Good. I'll pick you up in around ten minutes then?"  
  
"Sure. Just buzz my intercom and I'll meet you downstairs"  
  
"Okay. See you soon"  
  
"See you soon"  
  
When I hung up, the smile was still on my lips. And when Sho buzzed my apartment's intercom, I grabbed my bag, threw on my high heels, and went downstairs right away. I had practiced walking around in heels so much that I was now able to run while wearing them. If someone had told me I'd be doing so months before, I would have laughed in their face.  
  
"Hello", I said, when I reached the entrance to my building.  
  
Sho was waiting outside his car, and looked at me with wide eyes.  
  
"Whoa...", he exclaimed, looking me over from head to toe.  
  
"Do you like it?", I asked, twirling around.  
  
"You look gorgeous", he blinked, still not over his astonishment.  
  
"You look pretty amazing too", I smiled.  
  
I winked and both of us got into his car.  
  
"Why the change?", he asked, once inside.  
  
"Aiba-chan and Nino were right. I have to get out, see people, live life, and have fun. I can't stay locked at home until my body changes again, among other reasons because I may never be a man anymore"  
  
"Man or woman, you're perfect. You don't have anything to be ashamed of"  
  
I couldn't help smiling again.  
  
"You really are perfect, Sho. However, I would prefer not to talk about this subject tonight. I want to have fun with you, and enjoy dinner like a normal couple"  
  
"Sounds good", he smiled. "I hope you don't mind if I ask how I should refer to you in public. I think it would sound a bit strange calling you Satoshi, no?"  
  
"Yeah", I chuckled. "Call me Satomi"  
  
"Oh! Satomi"  
  
"It's perfect, right? I don't even have to change my _kanji_ "  
  
"It's an excellent idea"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm Ohno Satoshi's twin sister"  
  
Sho chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"You can't imagine how glad I am to see you this happy"  
  
"It was about time for me to accept it"  
  
"Well, not everyone would accept it so quickly. You're even wearing high heels"  
  
"Nino said they would help to accentuate my figure", I looked at my feet. "Do you like them? I see myself taller and better looking. Now I understand why women don't care about destroying their feet"  
  
I chuckled, and he chuckled with me.  
  
"You look stunning. Even more than usual"  
  
The night flew by with laughter and knowing glances. I loved spending time with Sho, I was happy listening to all the interesting things he had to say, and I especially enjoyed it when he spoke about something he really liked and how he got excited, linking topics, speaking non-stop with a sparkle in his eyes and gesturing in a lively way. I could spend hours watching him as he spoke, and never get tired of it.  
  
When we finished dinner, we went home to have a drink and then we went to bed, where Sho began to caress me, saying how he had been waiting all night for that moment. I was wearing my woman's underwear, one of the sexy combinations, so I didn't mind when he gently slipped his hand under my t-shirt and lifted it up. Actually, I felt satisfied when he saw my new bra, and his face was lit up with a mischievous smile. When he looked at me that way, with so much desire in his eyes, I felt that I wouldn't mind having that body forever.  
  
The next morning, when I woke up, I found him sitting in the kitchen, reading the newspaper, greeting me with his dazzling smile.  
  
"Good morning", he said, looking at me with affection.  
  
"Good morning", I replied, yawning.  
  
"How did you sleep?"  
  
"Very well, though I still feel kind of tired"  
  
He looked at me with a worried expression.  
  
"Satoshi, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"I have a bit of a headache, but I'm fine. Why?"  
  
"You fell asleep yesterday"  
  
I blinked and frowned, trying to remember, but the fact is that there was nothing after the mischievous smile he gave me when he saw my bra, and I hadn't drank enough to not be able to remember what had happened.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked at him.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
I had fallen asleep while he caressed me.  
  
"There's nothing to apologize for", he said, holding my hand. "But you have me worried"  
  
"Truth is, I've been feeling a little off these days, and I've felt more tired than usual. At home, I fall asleep every now and then on the couch, but I didn't give it too much thought. It will eventually stop. On those websites about menstrual cycles, it said that exhaustion is common"  
  
Sho placed his hand on my forehead.  
  
"You don't seem to have a fever, but you might've caught something. You should go to the doctor. It worries me that you fall asleep so easily"  
  
I nodded and looked at him again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sho"  
  
He pulled me close, and wrapped me in his arms.  
  
"There's nothing to forgive, really. Just go to the doctor and make sure you're all right, okay? Your body's defenses might be down because of all the changes it's gone through, and I don't want you to catch something serious. You have to take care of yourself, Satoshi"  
  
I smiled and nodded again.  
  
Sho was a gift. When I was with him, I felt like I could face anything. He made me feel good, loved, protected, cared for, and even special. He looked at me with devotion and smiled at me with warmth that melted me, not to mention when he gently held my hand, or when he kissed me as if I were as fragile as glass, or when he caressed my cheek and whispered that he loved me. He made me happy. So happy that I felt my heart would leap out of my chest whenever we were together.  
  
That week, I arranged an appointment with a private doctor, where paying for the consultation was enough. No one would ask me for identification and I wouldn't have to invent any kind of explanations. I thought they would give some medicine for the flu, since that's how my body felt; heavy just as it had when I'd caught the flu in previous years, but the doctor said he had ruled that out because I hadn't had a fever at all. Instead, he recommended an appointment with a gynecologist, to rule out any kind of hormonal disorder.  
  
I won't deny that I was nervous. Obviously, I had never gone to a gynecologist before, and it was an odd and unpleasant feeling. They ran some tests on me, among them a blood and a urine test, and told me to come back in a few days for the results. Sho wanted to accompany me, but I refused because I felt embarrassed. From the outside, it would look like a woman being accompanied by her boyfriend to the gynecologist and, even when I was practically used to my new body, the idea gave me goosebumps. I didn't feel woman enough to do something so... womanly.  
  
"Ohno-san", the gynecologist said, sitting across from me in his office, with a smile on his face. "I have very good news for you"  
  
"Good news? I'm so glad", I sighed in relief.  
  
"You're healthy. It isn't a hormonal disorder or any sickness that's causing the exhaustion you've been dealing with for the past month"  
  
"Ah, that's a relief. Thank you, doctor"  
  
I bowed to him and was about to stand up to leave, since that place full of stuff for women kept making me feel awkward, but the gynecologist looked at me with surprise, which stopped me.  
  
"Don't you want to know what's causing it?"  
  
"Is there a cause?", I blinked.  
  
"Well, yes, you could say that", he smiled again. "You're pregnant. Congratulations"  
  
I froze in my seat, my eyes wide.  
  
I was not prepared for that. My mind wasn't ready. My body wasn't ready. I wasn't even a real woman. I was a man. A man, damn it! As if I didn't have enough to deal with, having that body and wearing those bras that dug into me everywhere. Now I was pregnant. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening to me. Not now that I was starting to learn to live with my new self.  
  
"Ohno-san?"  
  
The voice of the gynecologist brought me back to reality, and I realized that tears had begun to flow down my cheeks.  
  
"Sorry", I said, trying to wipe them away. "I'm sorry"  
  
"Aren't you happy?"  
  
Of course I wasn't happy. It only complicated things even more.  
  
"It's not the best time for me...", I replied, lowering my head.  
  
"A child is always a reason for happiness"  
  
I looked at my stomach and touched it.  
  
"Is there really a child in here?"  
  
"Well, not exactly", he chuckled. "Right now it's just a fertilized egg, but it will grow little by little until it forms a baby. That's how it normally works"  
  
"I don't know what to do"  
  
"Ask your husband. Discuss the situation calmly with him"  
  
"I don't have a husband"  
  
He blinked.  
  
"I see", he cleared his throat. "I understand now"  
  
"I don't think so"  
  
"Well, you have a little less than two months to decide what you want to do. Being a single mother can be challenging, but don't rush into making a decision you might regret. Think of it as a new life inside of you, a human being that is just beginning to form"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'll think about it"  
  
When I left the clinic, I looked for a café and locked myself in the restroom.  
  
Sitting down on the toilet, I broke down and cried again, desperately. I didn't know what to do. How was I going tell Sho? He seemed relieved when the two of us thought nothing had happened after the first time we hadn't been careful, and he had assured me there was nothing to worry about because we were always careful from then on. It was obvious he wasn't planning to have a child. And it wasn't what I had planned on either.  
  
I was scared. The situation terrified me. A child was beginning to grow inside me, inside my body that was nothing more than a lie. I wasn't a woman. I didn't feel like a woman, as much as I had accepted living as one. Why did such things have to happen to me? Why couldn't I just go on with my life as usual, with my normal body and my paintings?  
  
When I managed to calm down a bit, I went home and lay down on my bed.  
  
I was exhausted, physically and psychologically. My body still felt heavy, even more now due to the stress the situation was causing me. My head felt as though it were about to explode and my chest hurt from crying so much. I only wanted to wake up from the nightmare, from the bad dream that looked more like a cruel trick of fate than reality.  
  
I curled up and closed my eyes.  
  
And wished that I could disappear.

 


	13. Aiba

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

Oh-chan was pale and puffy-eyed.  
  
He had been acting weird for the past two months. Every time Nino and I called him to hang out, he made excuses, and when we arranged to meet at his place, he fell asleep with incredible ease. He had become particularly sensitive to certain scents and flavors, and started to throw up often too. He had us worried, but every time we asked him about it, he claimed he was fine, that he was only going through a period of adjustment with his new body.  
  
That afternoon, he came to my house, asking me not to call Nino, and was sitting down on my couch with his head lowered. He looked lost in his own thoughts, indifferent to me being there, sitting in front of him, looking at him with concern, waiting for him to speak or say something. Though it seemed like he would break down at any moment.  
  
"Oh-chan...", I said. "Are you okay?"  
  
He sighed.  
  
"No, I'm not okay", he shook his head.  
  
"Have you seen a doctor? We're worried"  
  
"I went to the doctor... almost two months ago..."  
  
I looked at him, even more worried.  
  
"Have you been sick for two months?"  
  
"No, Aiba-chan. It's much worse than a sickness, and I don't know what to do. I've been thinking about it a lot, but I'm running out of time"  
  
My eyes widened.  
  
"What do mean that you're running out of time?! Oh-chan! Tell you aren't... Tell me you aren't dying!! I was the one who gave you that liquid to drink. Tell me I haven't done anything bad to you"  
  
"No, no, it's not that. I'm not sick, and I'm not going to die"  
  
I sighed, relieved, though Oh-chan still had the same expression.  
  
"What is it then? Why didn't you want me to call Nino?"  
  
"He wouldn't understand"  
  
"You're scaring me"  
  
Oh-chan looked up and I could see his eyes were filled with tears. His gesture looked desperate. My heart shrank, and I could feel the tears in my eyes as well. I didn't know what was going on, but I sensed it was something serious, and Oh-chan was wrecked. It hurt me to see him like that.  
  
"What happened, Oh-chan?", I whispered.  
  
"I'm an idiot, that's what happened", the tears in his eyes began to roll down his cheeks. "I'm more than thirty years old and I got carried away like some stupid teenager. It was only one night, but it was more than enough", he looked at me. "The doctor told me I'm pregnant, Aiba-chan"  
  
My eyes widened and I could feel a tear trickle down my cheek.  
  
"P-Pregnant?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"What the fuck, I'm a man!", he covered his face with his hands. "Why does this have to happen to me? I was fine with Sho, we were happy"  
  
I immediately stood up and hugged him.  
  
"Everything is going to be alright, Oh-chan", I said, squeezing him in my arms and resting my cheek on his head. "That child is going to have two fathers, and three uncles that are going to adore him. I'm sure that Nino and Jun-kun are going to be just as happy as I am with this news. He's going to be the most loved child in all of Japan. What am I saying? In the world! He's going to have four people looking after him all day, who are going to love him and give him everything he needs. And he's going to have an uncle in Spain! Not every baby can say something like that, Oh-chan"  
  
"I'm a man, Aiba-chan!", tears were still rolling down his cheeks.  
  
"Yeah, you're a man, you're right. But right now you have a woman's body, and you don't know how long it will last. Enjoy the good things your new body has to offer you. As a man, you'd never be able to have a child with Sho-kun. Do you realize that, Oh-chan? This is a miracle! It's a blessing for you and Sho-kun. I'm sure he's happy about it"  
  
I moved away from my friend to look at him, with a smile on my face, trying to calm him down. But, far from sharing my happiness, he was crying uncontrollably and shook his head, over and over.  
  
"No, Aiba-chan, it isn't a miracle. It's a curse"  
  
"Don't say that", I said, feeling sad.  
  
"Sho thought I might be pregnant after that time we got carried away, and he looked relieved when I told him I had my period"  
  
"Did you lie to him?"  
  
"No, I didn't lie", he sobbed. "For two days, I had pain in my abdomen and bled a little. Searching in the Internet, I thought it was my period, and that I hadn't bled a lot since it was the first time I got it, but the gynecologist said it's part of the pregnancy, that occasionally some women will bleed a little the first week", he looked at me. "What am I going to do now, Aiba-chan? I don't want to lose Sho. I don't want him to leave me"  
  
I sighed and messed my hair.  
  
""You haven't told him then?"  
  
"Not yet"  
  
"How far along are you in your pregnancy?"  
  
"The doctor said eleven weeks"  
  
I did the calculation in my head.  
  
"That's just over two months", I sighed again. "You have to tell him"  
  
"No. Not yet"  
  
"Oh-chan, you can't hide it from him. Sho-kun is the father, he has the right to know what's happening. Besides, it will be noticeable very soon, and by then it'll be worse"  
  
"My stomach has already gotten bigger. My pants are too tight"  
  
"Talk to him"  
  
"I don't want to tell him until I'm absolutely sure I want to have it"  
  
I stared at him, hardly daring to breathe.  
  
"What do you mean, until you're sure you want to have it?"  
  
He looked down at his hands.  
  
"I'm not sure... I want this child...", he whispered.  
  
"Oh-chan! What are you saying?! You can't be thinking about an abortion!! It's a human being inside of you!"  
  
"I know!", he exclaimed. "And because it's a human being, I think it deserves a normal family! Who would want a mother that had turned into a woman overnight? I can't have this child! I'm not a woman!"  
  
"Maybe you don't feel like a woman, but biologically you are one", I held his hands. "Oh-chan, don't do anything stupid, please. Don't get rid of your baby. Talk to Sho-kun and have the child. I just know he's going to make you happy! And Nino and I will love him as if he were ours, and I'm sure that Jun-kun will feel the same. Please, Oh-chan, tell me you won't do anything crazy, at least not without talking to Sho-kun first"  
  
"What if he leaves me?"  
  
"Why would he leave you?"  
  
"It doesn't seem like it's in his plans to have a child. What if he thinks I lied on purpose? What if he doesn't want to listen to me?"  
  
"Sho-kun isn't like that. He loves you"  
  
"I know, Aiba-chan, but I'm scared. I don't know how to live without him anymore"  
  
"That's exactly why you have to tell him! If you do something stupid and abort the baby without even telling him, just imagine the amount of pain you're going to cause him. It's your body, but it's his child too"  
  
Oh-chan sighed and lowered his head again.  
  
We spoke for several hours, and there were moments when it looked like Oh-chan agreed with me, but then went back to saying that he didn't want to talk to Sho-kun and that he didn't want to have his baby. I was scared. Oh-chan was a man, and even though he had a woman's body, I wasn't sure how the pregnancy would affect him, I wasn't even sure if his body would change back by itself. What would happen if it changed during the pregnancy? Would it be dangerous for Oh-chan? But what worried me most was that he really did do something dumb, and went alone to the doctor, without saying anything to anyone, and got rid of his baby.  
  
When Oh-chan left my place he wasn't crying inconsolably anymore, but he was still full of doubts. Throughout the afternoon, I insisted many times that he had both my support and Nino's, but his expression was still tense and his mind was clearly still running like crazy when he went out the door. I sat down on my couch and leaned back on it, with a sigh. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I felt, since Oh-chan seemed really desperate and without any intention of speaking to Sho-kun. It was as if that afternoon he had told me about a decision he had already made, rather than asking me for advice.  
  
I sat up and grabbed my cellphone.  
  
" _Moshi-moshi_ ~"  
  
"Sho-kun?", I said when I heard his voice.  
  
"Hello, Aiba-chan! How are you doing?"  
  
"Fine, but... I need to talk to you..."  
  
"To me?"  
  
"Yeah. Can you come over?"  
  
"Right now?"  
  
"Yes, please"  
  
"Has something happened to Satoshi?"  
  
I bit my lower lip.  
  
"He's fine. Nothing's happened to him, but I need to speak to you about something... that has to do with you and him. And it's urgent. Sho-kun, if we wait until tomorrow, it might be too late"  
  
Sho-kun was silent on the other end.  
  
"I'll be right there", he said. "Give me your address"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Write it down"  
  
He showed up at my place in less than half an hour.  
  
He was wearing a black coat over his suit, and was carrying his briefcase. He had come straight from his office. I invited him into my living room and made some hot tea. We were almost in November, and the days were beginning to get too cold in Tokyo.  
  
"Thanks for coming", I told him, offering him a cup of tea.  
  
He accepted it and placed his hands around it.  
  
"You have me worried", he replied.  
  
"I'm sorry. It probably isn't my place to tell you this, but I'm concerned"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Oh-chan has been here", I looked at him. "Nino and I have felt that he's been acting weird for the past two months, as if he were more tired than usual, but he was especially down today"  
  
"I know. He's been falling asleep everywhere", he sighed. "I told him a while ago to visit the doctor, but I think he ignored me. He says he went, and that the doctor said it was just a lack of vitamins, and that it would be gone with time, but I don't see him getting any better. He's the same, or worse even"  
  
I bit my bottom lip, hesitating for a few seconds, but I knew I had to tell him.  
  
"He went to the doctor, Sho-kun"  
  
He looked at me, worried.  
  
"He's sick, right? What's happened to him?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"He's... He isn't sick... He's... pregnant..."  
  
Sho-kun's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.  
  
"He says he's been pregnant for eleven weeks now", I continued. "I told him that he had to tell you, but he doesn't want to listen to me. He hasn't accepted his new body yet, and now this happens. I think he's confused. I've tried to persuade him that the child will be loved by all of us, and that it's a miracle that you two can even have a child together, but he seems to have given up. I'm worried"  
  
"It has to be a mistake. He told me he got his period, and then... Then we were careful! Always. It's impossible that he's pregnant"  
  
"He didn't get his period. It seems the bleeding was a part of the pregnancy"  
  
"But...", Sho-kun set the cup of tea on the table and looked at me. "Why hasn't he told me? We've been seeing each other all this time, and have an intimate relationship, and...", he pointed at himself. "Doesn't he trust me?"  
  
"He's scared, Sho-kun. He's terrified, and that's what worries me. I'm afraid he'll end up not telling you and doing something stupid that he'll regret later on"  
  
"What do you mean something stupid? You mean...?"  
  
"An abortion"  
  
Sho-kun's eyes widened even more.  
  
"He's thought about that?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Yeah... He mentioned that he still isn't sure if he wants to have it..."  
  
Sho-kun stood up immediately and rushed to the front door.  
  
"Where is he?", he asked, putting on his coat. "Do you know?"  
  
"He said he was going home"  
  
"Okay"  
  
He opened the door, but I halted him.  
  
"Sho-kun!", I exclaimed. "You do want... the child... don't you?"  
  
"Of course I want it! It's my child... and Satoshi's..."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Call me after you've spoken with him, please", I asked him.  
  
"Will do. Thanks for everything, Aiba-chan"  
  
Sho-kun rushed out of my apartment and disappeared down the stairs. I knew I hadn't acted properly. It wasn't my place to give him the news, but I was desperate. I didn't know how else to help Oh-chan.  
  
Sho-kun was the only one who could stop him.


	14. Sho

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

The way to Satoshi's place felt like it would never end.  
  
Everything still seemed unreal. I had gone to work in the morning, as usual, nothing out-of-the-ordinary. The day went by smoothly, without many questions from the new staff, and I had thought about leaving a little earlier to stop off in Harajuku or Shibuya to buy a gift for Satoshi. November was approaching, and along with it, the cold and my boyfriend's birthday.  
  
Boyfriend. A man.  
  
Months ago I would've thought that anyone who told me that things would end up this way was crazy. Even when Satoshi had a woman's body and had started wearing women's clothing, I was fully aware that he was a man, and I had naturally begun to treat him as one. It couldn't be any other way. After seeing the broken mirror at his place, I felt guilty and realized that I had only been fooling myself. I was in love with Satoshi because he was Satoshi, not because he was a woman. And now we were going to have a child.  
  
As Aiba-chan had said, it was a miracle. Satoshi had said that he hated his body, that it was like a cage to him, and there was nothing good about being a woman. I would tell him that he shouldn't be so conscious about his gender, that the important thing was that he stayed true to himself and carried on with his regular life, enjoying it and doing the things he liked. But I now saw a new positive point, something that I hadn't thought about until that moment. Satoshi's body allowed us to have a child of our own, his and mine. The two of us, being men, it wouldn't normally be possible. He said his new body was a curse, but I was beginning to think that it was a blessing, and that someone or something had made all of these things happen so that we could be together and form a family.  
  
Satoshi and I. A family.  
  
As much as I thought about it and repeated the words to myself, it didn't sound real. I was surprised, and really scared, but I was so happy that it overshadowed everything else. When Aiba-chan told me that Satoshi was thinking about having an abortion, an invisible force came over me and I stood up right away to leave, without thinking. Perhaps my paternal instinct had awakened without my being aware of it, but I suddenly felt like something that was a part of me was in danger. I didn't know how we would do it or what might happen, but I was certain that I did not want Satoshi to get rid of the baby. Even when we hadn't sought out the pregnancy, that baby, our baby, was loved.  
  
When I reached Satoshi's place and he opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Sho..."  
  
"Hello"  
  
"What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you tonight"  
  
"May I come in?"  
  
"Yeah, sure"  
  
He moved away and let me inside.  
  
I took off my shoes in silence.  
  
"What brings you here?"  
  
"I think it'll be better if we go and sit in the living room. I need to talk to you"  
  
He looked at me and nodded.  
  
"Sure. Let's go", he said, motioning to the living room.  
  
I nodded and walked there in silence. He followed behind me.  
  
"Sit down, please", I said when we entered.  
  
He looked at me again, not moving from where he was.  
  
"What happened, Sho? You're worrying me"  
  
I took his hand and pulled him to the couch, where we sat down.  
  
"Aiba-chan told me"  
  
He frowned.  
  
"What did he tell you?"  
  
"That you are...", I looked at his abdomen and then looked up at him, resting my hand on his cheek and caressing it. "That we're going to have a child"  
  
His eyes widened and I could see the fear in them.  
  
"I know you don't want to have a child, but...", his eyes were begging me. "Please, Sho, don't walk away from me... I'll fix it. Somehow, I'll fix it. I promise"  
  
"What are you saying?", I pulled him close to me to wrap him in my arms. "How could I walk away from you? Why would I do that?"  
  
"I know you don't want this child. When you thought about the possibility of me being pregnant some months ago, you seemed relieved to know that nothing had happened"  
  
I moved away to be able look at him, and took his face in my hands.  
  
"I know I said that we had been lucky when I thought you weren't pregnant, but I was wrong, just as I was when I insisted in speaking to you as a woman. Satoshi, this is a miracle, do you realize it? That you've turned into a woman and now you're pregnant gives us the chance to form a family. You and me. Isn't that awesome?"  
  
"Sho..."  
  
Satoshi's eyes no longer reflected fear. Now they were shining with joy.  
  
I smiled and gently caressed his cheeks with my thumbs.  
  
"You really aren't mad then?"  
  
"I'm surprised, I won't deny it. I still can't believe this is happening. I'm also scared since I've never been a father before, and it makes me anxious facing the unknown. But above all, I'm happy. Very happy, Satoshi. We're going to have a child. You know that? A baby!"  
  
He reached out and tenderly caressed my cheek.  
  
"I feel... so stupid, Sho..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"When the gynecologist told me that I was going to have a baby, I got scared and froze up. I cried all the afternoon and wanted to disappear. I thought you wouldn't want to have this child. I felt lonely and thought I was the unluckiest person in the world. First it was the changes to my body, and then a pregnancy. What else could possibly happen to me? But now I realize that I was wrong. This isn't a curse... it's a blessing..."  
  
"Of course it is", I smiled. "It's something we created together"  
  
"Yeah...", he smiled as well. "Something that is growing inside of me..."  
  
"It's a miracle. It's so amazing that a baby is forming in your belly"  
  
"I know..."  
  
He caressed my cheek again and leaned in to kiss my lips.  
  
"You should've told me from the beginning", I said. "Why didn't you do it? I want you to trust me, Satoshi. I want you to feel that you can count on me whenever you need it. I know I'm insecure, and sometimes I'm weak, but you can lean on me. I promise that I will be stronger from now on, for you and our child"  
  
"You're too nice, Sho", he giggled and kissed me again.  
  
"No, seriously. Aiba-chan told me you weren't sure about having the baby, and that's why you hadn't told me yet. He told me you thought about having an abortion... and I... I felt so powerless, so frustrated. You can't imagine it"  
  
"I thought about an abortion, that is true, but it wasn't because I don't think I can trust you. I was scared. Of everything. I was afraid of your reaction, or that you might leave me. The thought of having a child and raising it, and the changes in my body frightened me. Less than three months have passed and I've already had to deal with many symptoms, not to mention that my clothes don't fit me anymore. It's all very sudden, and I think I felt overwhelmed", he looked at me. "I'm still trying to accept my new body. A pregnancy didn't help matters, and I just broke down"  
  
I sighed and gently stroked his hair.  
  
"It must be difficult adapting to so many changes so suddenly, but I'm here. You don't have to hide when you feel bad and want to cry, just call me and I'll come be with you. I know I probably won't be able to do much, but I want to be by your side at least. I don't want you to suffer alone ever again, Satoshi. Please"  
  
"Oh, Sho! You really are incredible", he kissed me slowly and hugged me. "Will you come with me to buy maternity clothes and visit the gynecologist?"  
  
"Of course! I don't want to miss a thing"  
  
That same week, we went together to buy him new clothes.  
  
As inexperienced parents, we had to go with what was best at each moment. At first, the maternity clothes were too big, but his normal clothes were too tight, so we had to choose clothes that were a little bigger than his regular size so that he could go out in them. At home, his men's clothes gave him enough freedom to move around comfortably, especially when he painted.  
  
I was getting more excited every day, and I was always touching his belly, trying to feel something. He chuckled and told me again that the gynecologist said he wouldn't feel anything until he was close to his twentieth week, but I kept on insisting each day, and speaking to the baby. Satoshi said it couldn't hear me and that it wasn't even fully formed, but I liked to think it could hear me. It made me feel a special bond with Satoshi, and with our child.  
  
On the twelfth week, I accompanied him to his first ultrasound scan, in which both of us were able to see our baby for the first time. To be honest, it was hard for me to see its shape because it didn't look like a baby at all. It was a tiny little thing, with a round head and arms and legs of the same length. When it noticed the cold of the gel and the ultrasound machine, it moved slightly and was resting on its side, and it was then that we could distinguish its nose and lips a little better. It was a unique experience. To see my child for the first time.  
  
"Is it a boy?", I asked to the doctor.  
  
"You'll have to wait a little longer to know that"  
  
"Really? I thought we could find out already"  
  
"Sometimes, if it's a boy and depending on its position, you can guess the gender of the baby at this point in the pregnancy. But the normal thing is to wait two or three more weeks "  
  
I didn't particularly care about the gender of the baby. May it be a boy or a girl, I would be happy just the same, but my curiosity was eating me alive. Satoshi suggested that we wait until it was born so that it would be a surprise, but I told him that no way. I wanted to know the gender of our child as soon as possible, start thinking about a name, plan out the bedroom design, and buy some clothes. Satoshi said I looked like the mother acting so anxious about preparing everything, but I couldn't help it. I was so excited about our baby that I couldn't wait for the moment it was born.  
  
On the next visit to the gynecologist, we were told that they could do a new ultrasound scan to see if the baby was a girl or a boy. Satoshi tried to convince me to wait a few more weeks, but I couldn't wait any longer. When the doctor said there was a possibility to find out the gender of the baby, a swarm of butterflies began to flutter like crazy inside my stomach, and I knew I'd wind up going crazy thinking about it if we didn't at least try it. In the end, Satoshi agreed and allowed them to do the ultrasound on him.  
  
Our baby had grown and had a more human-like shape now. The wait seemed like an eternity due to my impatience in wanting to be a father and having my child in my arms, but everything was happening so fast. The baby grew and formed much faster than I expected, and it made me smile the first moment we saw it on the screen. I loved it so much without even having met it yet. It was mine and Satoshi's. A new life that we had created together. It was so magical.  
  
"Oh!", the gynecologist said, moving the ultrasound a little. "It looks like your baby wants to cooperate. "It's moving and... There we go!", he looked at us. "It's a girl. Definitely."  
  
I blinked and looked at Satoshi, who was entranced by the ultrasound display.  
  
"A girl?"  
  
"Yes, a girl", the doctor pointed at the screen. "These are the genitals"  
  
I couldn't differentiate all of the body parts very well, but the fetus had its legs quite spread and it looked like it was in a fairly relaxed position, even though it was most likely feeling the cold gel and the machine moving over it. I couldn't help a tender smile from crossing my lips, as it reminded me of Satoshi and his amazing ability to be relaxed in almost any situation.  
  
There was no doubt she was his daughter. And mine.  
  
Our little girl.


	15. Jun

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[**furokugal**](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/) for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

I wanted to surprise Sho.  
  
Since the moment he told me that he was going to be a father, I wanted to catch a plane and go to Japan to spend a few days with him, but my job didn't allow for it. After more than two months, I had managed to get six days off in between two important fashion shows and I didn't hesitate for a second to buy a plane ticket, but I had chosen not to tell him. He had insisted for a long time that I go to Japan to see him and my family, so I knew he would be glad if I showed up at his apartment by surprise.  
  
And so I did.  
  
I was exhausted, I had jet lag and was gaunt from only a few hours of sleep during the flight, but once I stopped by my place to drop off my luggage, I immediately took a taxi to my friend's house. We hadn't met in almost a year, and his life had changed so much in the past six months that I was dying to hug him and have him tell me everything, especially since had reunited with Ohno. It was incredible that they were going to have a child. It was like some kind of miracle, like a great plan that fate had laid out for them, but I couldn't help feeling scared. I was so afraid that their bubble of happiness might explode one day and Sho wouldn't be able to get over it. I didn't even want to think about it.  
  
I'll admit I was nervous when I rang Sho's doorbell. I didn't know if he was home because I hadn't wanted to call him in order not to spoil the surprise, but even so, I fixed my jacket and waited, listening carefully, with my heart racing inside my chest. When I heard footsteps approaching the door, I smiled. And I smiled even more when Sho opened the door and how his eyes widened when he saw me.  
  
" _Yo_ ", I smiled.  
  
"Jun..."  
  
"Yeah, it's me", I laughed. "I bet you weren't expecting this"  
  
"Jun! Come in!", his surprised face changed into a wide smile as he pulled me inside the apartment. "What are you doing here?! When did you arrive? Why didn't you call? I would've picked you up at the airport"  
  
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise", I replied, taking off my shoes.  
  
"You surprised me, that's for sure", he hugged me. "I'm so glad you're here. How long has it been since we last met? Ten months? A year?"  
  
"I think a year, yeah. I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier", I took a step back to look at him as I spoke. "How about you treat me to a beer and update me on things? I think there are a few new things going on in your life, and now we can talk calmly, without the time difference being a pain in the ass"  
  
Sho smiled and nodded.  
  
"Come with me, I want to introduce you to someone", he said, motioning for me to follow him.  
  
"Is someone here with you?", I asked, following him down the hallway. "I can come at another time, if it's a bother. Don't worry about me"  
  
"No, I want you to stay"  
  
He stopped before reaching the door to his living room and looked at me, with sparkling eyes. I don't think I had ever seen him like that before, and that made me look at him with expectation.  
  
"Are you ready?", he asked.  
  
"I think so", I raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? The emperor, or what?"  
  
Sho laughed and his eyes danced happily. He was exultant.  
  
"It's someone even more important", he said.  
  
He entered the living room and I followed him, but I stopped right away the moment I stepped in the room, and opened my eyes. Sitting down on one of the couches was a woman, who looked up when we entered, and bowed her head. I knew that face and those gestures perfectly, they belonged to a man in my memory, but what caught my attention the most was her belly, big and round. It was Ohno, there was no doubt. He was a woman, and pregnant, as Sho had told me months earlier in one of our conversations. Somehow, I had gotten used to the idea of my absent-minded friend from high school having a woman's body when I spoke with Sho on Skype, but one thing was having an idea in my mind, and a very different one to see it with my own eyes.  
  
"I introduce you to the two most important people in my life", Sho said, sitting down on the same couch as Ohno. "Ohno Satoshi, and our daughter. She doesn't have a name yet, though"  
  
The protective and fatherly way in which Sho caressed Ohno's stomach as he spoke made me frown. The two of them seemed to be living one of the best moments of their lives, and I was happy for them, but I couldn't help thinking about what might happen if Ohno regained his male body. Perhaps they had forgotten, or they preferred to leave it aside, but I couldn't help being aware of reality and feeling scared. Scared for my friend, because I knew that if his bubble of happiness were to burst, it wouldn't be easy for him to get over it, and scared for Ohno and the baby. What if he got his male body back before giving birth? It could be dangerous. The body of a man isn't made to house a baby, there's no uterus. The girl wouldn't have a place to form, and I had the impression that they hadn't even thought about it.  
  
"Sho, you don't need to introduce us ", Ohno chuckled, looking at me. "I remember Jun very well, from high school"  
  
I cleared my throat.  
  
"I remember you too", I said, looking at him up and down. "Though, I have to say, you've changed a bit "  
  
"Yeah, I was a man before and what not. Everything is normal", he laughed.  
  
Sho laughed as well, and pointed to one of the armchairs.  
  
"Sit down, Jun. You know you're at home"  
  
"Thank you", I replied, sitting down.  
  
"How long are you staying?", Sho asked.  
  
"I could only manage six days. I have an awesome team that is taking care of things while I'm gone, but we're hitting the peak of fashion show season because of the new collections. I can't be away for too long"  
  
"You should've used these days to rest. When you're in fashion show season, you're always overworked and don't sleep enough"  
  
"I'll survive, don't worry", I smiled. "You're going through an important time, and I wanted to share it with you in some way. Although, I have to say, I didn't expect to meet Ohno so soon. It's been a surprise"  
  
"It showed on your face", Sho said.  
  
"Really?", I looked at Ohno, who was looking down at his hands on his lap. "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention. Sho knows that I accept this and I've supported him from the very first minute. It's just that it isn't the same to have an idea of a situation, than to see it with my own eyes"  
  
"You don't have to explain yourself", Ohno said. "I understand you're surprised to see me with this body and this belly"  
  
"I won't lie, I'm surprised. But I don't want you to say it in that tone. As if it were something bad. If I made a face, it's only because I'm worried about you two, not because the situation disgusts me"  
  
"We're fine, Jun. You don't have to worry", Sho replied, looking at me and then looking at Ohno. "Satoshi and I couldn't be happier"  
  
"I know", I sighed. "I know"  
  
I chose to be quiet instead of explaining the things that I thought that could go wrong. I had mentioned them to Sho before on Skype, but I had never delved deeper into the topic, and didn't want to in front of Ohno. I didn't want to be the one to burst their bubble of happiness and give them a thousand concerns.  
  
"Well", I said, trying to change the subject. "Have you thought about a name for your baby? I know you said she doesn't have a name yet, but perhaps you've already started thinking about it"  
  
Sho nodded and held Ohno's hand, caressing it.  
  
"We haven't decided on anything yet, but we definitely want it to have one of the kanji in Aiba-chan's name"  
  
"Yeah", Ohno added. "We're together because of him, and we're able to have our daughter thanks to his experiment, so we thought about making him the godfather and giving her part of his name"  
  
"It's a nice touch. He's going to love it"  
  
"We want him to know how important he's been to our family", Sho smiled. "The problem is that there aren't many female names we like that have his kanji. We've thought about Maki, Mayumi, Miki or Aki, but we also would like our daughter's name to have a special meaning, so none of them have totally convinced us"  
  
"I like Yuuki", I said.  
  
"Yuuki?", Ohno asked.  
  
"Yeah, written with the kanji for friendship and the second kanji of Masaki"  
  
Sho and Ohno looked at each other with surprise.  
  
Yuuki was a name I had always liked for a girl, and it was a perfect fit for this occasion. It had one kanji from Aiba's name, like they wanted, and the one for friendship. It was a perfect representation of what Aiba meant to them.  
  
"It's perfect", Sho said. "How did we not think of it before?"  
  
"I don't know", Ohno smiled and touched his belly. "But I think she likes it too. She started moving around like crazy when she heard it. Look, Jun"  
  
Ohno grabbed my hand and placed it on the top of his belly.  
  
"Do you feel her?"  
  
I could perfectly feel how the girl kicked inside his abdomen.  
  
My eyes widened and I looked at him.  
  
"It's... incredible...", I said.  
  
"I know. I feel her inside of me, and I keep saying the same thing"  
  
"She's playing soccer with your ribs", I chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, it's something she loves to do. It kills me", he chuckled too.  
  
"Let me feel!", Sho exclaimed, placing his hand on Ohno's belly. "Oh! She's happy! Look at how she's moving! Yuuki-chan~ It's daddy~ You like to feel daddy, don't you? Yuuki-chan~"  
  
"Hey, it was my turn!", I protested in a funny tone.  
  
"The father has priority", my friend laughed.  
  
"By the way, since we've mentioned Aiba-chan", said Ohno. "When I met Sho on the train the first time, he said he was excited about the five of us meeting up again, including Nino. He even spoke about going on a trip to Europe"  
  
"Yeah, Sho mentioned something about it in his e-mails", I nodded.  
  
"Since you're in Japan for a few days, maybe we can have that reunion"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Why not? I haven't seen them in ten years. We can get together to have lunch or dinner somewhere, and then go for a drink. It'll be interesting, after so many years"  
  
"I'm going to call them then", Ohno replied, standing up and pulling his cellphone from his pocket. "I'll be right back. I'll go into the hall so you two can continue talking"  
  
Ohno left the room and I was left alone with Sho for a while. He was still smiling from ear to ear, as he watched Ohno leave, until he couldn't see him anymore. I sighed and leaned back in my seat.  
  
"I'm terrified for you, Sho. Maybe-"  
  
"I know", he interrupted me. "Maybe one day Satoshi wakes up a man again, and if it happens during the pregnancy I don't know what will happen. But what am I supposed to do, Jun?", he looked at me. "What's growing inside of him is my daughter. I love her as much as I love him. I can only trust in fate, Jun. If it made this miracle possible, it isn't going to take it away from us now. I have to believe in it, or I'll go crazy"  
  
"I understand", I sighed. "I just needed to hear what you thought about this, but I can see you have things clear, so I won't persist in this topic. I don't want to pressure you or cause you any undue stress"  
  
"Don't worry, Jun. I know you only do it because you care"  
  
We talked for a while until Ohno came back with his cellphone in hand, saying that Aiba and Nino had insisted on coming to Sho's place that afternoon. I told him that was fine with me, and in less than half an hour, the two of them arrived, as noisy as ever and talking non-stop. And I felt like I could get used to always having them around.  
  
Without a doubt, I was home.


	16. Sho

Author: arimi_skywalker (sutekihanashi)  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear furokugal for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

 

 

I couldn't have been happier.

Satoshi and I loved each other more and more every day, as our daughter grew healthy inside of him. We had gone through two ultrasound scans and all the needed tests to see if the baby might be born with any genetic defects or complications, and we were now halfway into the pregnancy. It didn't seem real that five months had passed. Our little girl was fully formed, and she had tremendous amounts of energy at some moments and would start to kick and shake her hands like crazy. The doctor had told us that we would notice her much more now because even when she spent a lot of time sleeping, when she woke up she did it to her fullest energy, paying full attention to what her five new senses made her feel. Satoshi said he felt her especially after eating something sweet, which made me laugh, thinking that our Yuuki would be passionate about food, just like her parents.

The day Jun returned to Spain, the four of us took him to airport. Satoshi, Nino, and Aiba-chan had won his heart during those six days. I could see it as we said our goodbyes, and I had the feeling that Jun didn't want to go back to the country he now lived in. Maybe the five of us gathering together had stirred up memories of our childhood in him, as it had in me, and had made him feel the same warm sensation I felt in my heart. To me, we were a family of five and it was as if all those years had never even passed. We felt surprisingly comfortable with each other, despite each of us being so different, and we all were excited about the arrival of the newest family member.

That night, I stayed at Satoshi's place.

"I hope Jun can come back when Yuuki is born", I said while I massaged his legs. "It would be nice to have the five of us together again, this time with our little girl"

"He said he would try. Have a little faith"

"I know", I sighed. "It's just that he's always too busy to come to Japan"

"Well, he knows it's an important time for you"

I nodded, though I couldn't help sighing again.

"Come here", he said.

I looked at him and saw him smiling as he motioned for me to lie down beside him on bed.

"Five more minutes and I'll go", I replied, continuing the massage.

"It's okay, Sho. You don't have to do that"

"I don't want you to have leg cramps during the night"

"I'll be fine, really", he said, sitting up to grab my hand and pull me towards him.

I lay down beside him and rested my head on his chest, while he stroked my hair.

"It seems like Yuuki is quiet now", I said.

"Yeah, she's usually more active when I'm resting"

"When she's born, we won't have many moments like this"

"That's what the obstetrician says, that I should enjoy the peace while it lasts", he chuckled.

I chuckled with him and caressed his belly.

"Where are we going to put her room?", I asked.

"I thought about cleaning up the room I use for painting and put her things in there. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me this week to choose a color for the walls"

"Yeah, of course I do", I immediately said. "But I wanted to ask you something, Satoshi"

"Eh? What is it?"

I leaned my chin on his chest and looked at him.

"I would like the three of us to live together once the baby is born"

I saw a smile forming on his lips as he caressed my cheek.

"I would love that"

I sat up and shifted closer to him to kiss his lips.

"Let's look for an apartment before deciding the color of Yuuki's room then", I said caressing his lips with my finger. "I want it to be a place with a lot of sunlight, so that our daughter grows up happy"

"She's going to be happy wherever she lives, Sho. She has four people who adore her before she's even born, especially her parents"

"You're right", I replied, trailing kisses down his jawline to his neck. "But I want to give you two the very best. In every way that I can"

I felt his arms wrapping around me and pulling my body against his. He looked for my lips and we kissed again, this time with more desire than before, then he looked at me as he stroked my hair.

"It's been a long time since you and I last... well, you know...", he blushed.

"I know, and it's not that I don't want you. You're more gorgeous than ever right now, but since your belly started to grow I'm afraid of hurting Yuuki"

"Nothing's going to happen to her. The doctor said it isn't dangerous"

"Did you ask him about sex?", this time, it was me who blushed.

"Yes, of course", he smiled. "But if it helps you to worry less, we can shift positions"

I nodded.

"Yeah, but stay where you are for now", I smirked.

I continued trailing kisses down his neck to his chest, where I stopped for a bit. I loved the way he sighed and closed his eyes, grabbing my hair and tugging at it while I kissed and caressed him. Satoshi's chest had become more sensitive since the pregnancy, and it made him feel me more intensely, which drove me crazy. The hormones already made him look gorgeous and I couldn't help wanting him more than ever, and he knew it. That night he played the game of seduction better than ever, feeling totally self-confident, and when I laid back on bed and he straddled me, he had me touching heaven with the tips of my fingers. It was incredibly intense for both of us, and beautiful. I felt like we now shared a special understanding thanks to his pregnancy, especially when we both were lying on bed, trying to catch our breaths, and he grabbed my hand, placing it on his belly.

"Your daughter says she's happy"

Yuuki was moving around and kicking like crazy. I shifted and leaned my cheek on Satoshi's belly, listening while I caressed him. And I smiled. It was a magical moment for which I would be forever grateful, to both Satoshi and Yuuki. For making me the happiest man on earth.

"Dad is happy too, Yuuki-chan"

Satoshi and I spent a couple of months looking for a place where the three of us could live. We checked several apartments, even houses in the outskirts of Tokyo, but in the end we chose a spacious attic, which was fairly priced. Of course, we decided that Yuuki's room would be the one with most sunlight, and immediately started planning the color and the layout, as well as buying things. Satoshi particularly enjoyed buying her toys and clothes. I guess the hormonal shake-up he was going through made his character more effeminate, despite him still feeling like a man.

The months passed surprisingly fast, and soon the discomfort of the final stages of the pregnancy arrived. Satoshi often complained about the baby placing her head behind his ribs, pressing against his lungs and making it difficult for him to breathe. He couldn't exert much energy due to the heavy weight of his abdomen, and he would wake up in the middle of the night with cramps in his legs, even though I gave him massages every night before bed. I would've liked to have been able to do something else for him, but it was impossible to share in the pain with him, so I could only stay by his side, have patience with his mood swings and try to make things easy for him. By this point in time, we had moved to our new attic, which would be home to our family when our daughter was born, and that allowed me to be by his side as much as I could. I didn't want to miss a second of his pregnancy because I was sure that it was an experience we would never repeat again, even if he didn't get his man's body back.

There are many things I will always remember from that time, especially the understanding that had formed between Satoshi and I after finding out that we had created a new life together. But, without a doubt, the day that marked my life forever was the one in which Satoshi called me at my office in the middle of the afternoon.

"Sho... it's started...", he said.

I knew exactly what he meant.

Our daughter wanted to be born.

I grabbed my jacket and rushed home, where I found Satoshi gathering up all his things and placing them into two bags, one for him and another one for the baby. I gently took what he had in his hands and told him I would do it, that he should relax as much as he could.

To be perfectly honest, I was scared. It was the first time I had ever faced something like that and it made me anxious, but at the same time I knew that Satoshi was the one who had to make the decisions and let me know what he needed at every moment. I could only stand by his side and take care of him. So I did. When the contractions became more painful, but weren't happening regularly enough, I helped him take a little bath, as they had advised in the preparatory classes, and when his water broke, I took him straight to the hospital.

I was with him for eleven hours, in which the contractions became stronger, more frequent, and sometimes they made him scream. I couldn't do much, just be by his side and hold his hand, which he squeezed every time he felt the pain. I couldn't even say anything to him. I was frozen from the fear of the unknown and the shocking image of the whole process.

When he was moved to the delivery room, I was asked to wait outside. Truth be told, I really didn't want to enter, since I knew that it was already an uncomfortable situation for Satoshi being the man he was, however, the wait was killing me, and I couldn't stop pacing around the waiting room. My family and Satoshi's family were there, and my sister tried to reassure me by telling me that everything would be fine and that I would have my girl in my arms soon, but I still couldn't help being nervous. I was more frightened than ever, for Satoshi and our daughter, and prayed that the two of them were fine, that my daughter was born healthy, and that Satoshi was able to hold up with all the stress and physical exertion.

Almost an hour later, the midwife left the delivery room with a smile on her face, which told me that everything had gone well, but even so, I waited until I heard it directly from her lips.

"Congratulations, Sakurai-san. You're the father of a beautiful baby girl", she said.

"What about Sato... mi? How is she?"

"Exhausted, but she's fine. She was very brave"

I'd had the feeling that I'd been carrying around a huge suitcase of twenty kilos on my back, and those words lifted the weight from it, allowing me to finally breathe again.

"Would you like to see them?"

"May I?", I asked, surprised.

"It isn't usually done, but she asked to see you"

I nodded and followed her inside the delivery room.

Satoshi was lying on the bed, sweaty and exhausted, holding a bundle of white towels in his arms, which he was admiring with adoration. Only the sound of the door closing behind me distracted him and made him focus his attention on me.

"Sho", he smiled with sparkling eyes. "Look at her. It's our little girl"

My heart began to race inside my chest, and I approached the bed to kiss his temple. I couldn't express with words the happiness I felt when I saw Satoshi was fine, but what really overwhelmed me was seeing that inside that bundle of white towels there was a tiny person, with her eyes closed, peacefully sleeping against her mother's chest.

She was beautiful. All of her. From head to toe.

"She's perfect", I whispered.

"And we made her", Satoshi said.

Without saying another word and being very careful, Satoshi handed me that bundle of towels, which slightly shifted with the change of arms. I looked at her, fascinated, enjoying how wonderful she was, despite being so tiny. She was a miracle. An angel who had come to fill our hearts with a feeling that is impossible to express in mere words. I smiled, with teary eyes, and gently pulled the towel back a little to have a better look at her face.

"We were waiting for you, Yuuki", I whispered.


	17. Ohno

**Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
A/N: Thanks to my dear [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;

_If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

 

 

It had all been worth it.  
  
The first days stuck at home, the embarrassment of buying woman's underwear, the sickness, the swollen legs, the pain of the contractions, and the nearly thirteen hours of labor. All was forgotten when I had my little girl in my arms, moving her tiny hands. She was like a doll. So small and fragile.  
  
As a man, both the pregnancy and going through labor had been awkward, since they were the maximum expression of womanhood, but as a person, it had been an unforgettable experience. It might not have been as beautiful as everyone says, at least to me, but it had been magical and unrepeatable. I didn't regret anything, especially now that I had my daughter with me and Sho was staring at her with a sparkle in his eyes, a look that was mixture of devotion and tenderness that just melted my heart.  
  
The first day in the hospital after giving birth, both my family and Sho's came in little by little to see us, and to meet Yuuki. My mom and Sho's were looking after me the whole time, just in case I needed something, even though insisted that I was fine, and my sister demanded to spend the night there with me so that Sho could go home and have some rest. The stress and anxiety of the birth had left a mark on him, and now his eyes were puffy, especially under his eyelids.  
  
The next day, Aiba-chan and Nino came to meet Yuuki, and they brought her a ton of things, from toys to clothes.  
  
"You're already spoiling her, and she's just been born", I chuckled.  
  
"She's going to be spoiled by everyone, accept it", Nino said.  
  
"Yuuki-chan~", Aiba-chan crooned, approaching the girl and playing with her hand. "You're so cute, you don't look like your mom at all"  
  
"Hey!", I protested, chuckling. "Don't come here and say those things"  
  
"Aiba-chan is right, she looks like me", Sho smiled, proudly.  
  
I threw one of the baby's plushies at him.  
  
"You're going to be the one taking care of her when she cries at night"  
  
"Can I hold her?", Aiba-chan asked.  
  
"Yah, sure", I replied.  
  
Aiba-chan held the baby in his arms, under Nino's watchful gaze, and his wide smile lit up the room as he looked at her. Nino stood behind him to get a better look at her, and smiled as he gently caressed her tiny cheek.  
  
I looked at Sho and he nodded.  
  
"Aiba-chan", I said. "Sho and I want to thank you"  
  
My friend looked at me, surprised.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, thanks to you I could get rid of my prejudices and realize that Satoshi is an incredible person, no matter whether he's a man or woman", Sho said.  
  
"And thanks to you, Yuuki is here today", I added.  
  
"But...", Aiba-chan blinked. "I didn't do anything..."  
  
"You turned me into a woman. I know I was mad in the beginning and yelled at you, so I have to apologize for that because, thanks to this body, I'm happy"  
  
"Oh-chan, I... don't know what to say... I was just being selfish and made you try my experiment without saying anything to you. I never felt so guilty in my life and..."  
  
"Aiba-chan", I interrupted him. "When I say I'm happy and that I owe it to you, I'm completely serious. My daughter is proof of that"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Look at her ankle", I said, pointing to Yuuki.  
  
Aiba-chan gently moved Yuuki's blanket away and uncovered her ankle, exposing the identification label that Sho and I hadn't wanted to remove yet. On it, my name was written together with the baby's, showing the _kanji_ we had chosen: the character for friendship and the second character in Masaki.  
  
"Oh-chan...", Aiba-chan's voice cracked.  
  
"Do you believe me now?"  
  
He nodded with teary eyes.  
  
"Thank you", he said. "I'm... really happy..."  
  
Nino wrapped his arm around Aiba-chan's waist.  
  
"Hey, I'm getting jealous", he protested.  
  
"Jealous?", I asked, playing the fool. "Why?"  
  
"Because Masaki is getting all the good stuff. What about me?"  
  
I couldn't help laughing. I knew Nino would say something like that, and I was ready for it.  
  
"You're her godfather", I said. "If you want to be, of course"  
  
A smile appeared on my friend's face.  
  
"Well, suppose I can do it for you", he replied, winking.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Jun came back to Japan two weeks after that, and he spent more time with us than with his own family. He stayed for fifteen days, and during that time we organized several meals to get the five of us together and have a good time. Despite all the years that had passed and how different we all were, there was something special that united us, and I knew that if any of the five needed something, the other four would run to help. We were like a little family of five. Well, no, make that six, as Yuuki was immediately welcomed as the newest member.  
  
The first six months after the pregnancy were somewhat strange. I had lost my sexual appetite, even though I still found Sho incredibly handsome and attractive, and my body, which was already an anomaly in itself, felt even more out of sorts due to the changes it suffered. At the beginning, Sho showed an infinite amount of patience, but eventually I noticed that we were starting to fall apart. Between the lack of sex, Yuuki who didn't allow us to rest, and my body complex, Sho and I had left our relationship on the back burner.  
  
A year passed until I decided that we couldn't go on the way we were. I had to do something, and fast. I hated for things to have had to reach that point because it only made me feel even more like a woman, but I went on a diet and started working out to get back in shape, and I asked Aiba-chan and Nino to accompany me to buy some new lingerie to seduce Sho.  
  
My plan was successful.  
  
Yuuki was a year old and she now slept normally at night, so in the moment she fell asleep, Sho and I took the chance to have our little private time. Sometimes we only talked or gifted each other with some caresses, without going any further, but other times we gave free rein to our feelings and turned our little moment into an intense exchange of kisses and caresses, making a special effort not to leave a single centimeter of each other's body unexplored. You could say that I had it all. During the day, I enjoyed my little girl and seeing Sho's fatherly side, and at night, I enjoyed a more masculine and passionate side of him. I couldn't ask for anything else.  
  
One Sunday morning, after one of those passionate nights in which Sho and I wound up exhausted and fell asleep in each other's arms, I lazily opened my eyes and blinked several times to adjust to the light coming through the blinds. I yawned and looked up at the reason for my existence, who was lying beside me, staring at me with wide eyes, as if he had seen a ghost.  
  
" _Ohayou_ ~", I said with a giggle. "Do I look that bad?"  
  
He blinked a few times, but gave me a warm smile and kissed my forehead.  
  
" _Ohayou_ ", he replied, in his affectionate tone like every morning. "On the contrary, you look gorgeous this morning, Satoshi"  
  
I giggled sheepishly.  
  
"You just earned yourself a special breakfast"  
  
"Really? And I can choose it?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Think about what you want while I take a shower"  
  
"Okay", he smiled. "I'm going to check on our princess, she's too quiet"  
  
"Nothing good, I'm sure", I chuckled.  
  
Sho got up, put on his underwear and pajama pants, and left the room, but not before turning around to look at me again and smile. I smiled back and watched as he walked away down the hall to Yuuki's room. Sometimes, my life seemed like a dream, and I knew that if it was, I never wanted to wake up. My boyfriend was perfect. My daughter was perfect. And every morning they reminded me how wonderful it was to be alive and that I was able to enjoy their company.  
  
I walked into the bathroom without any clothes on, ready to take a quick shower and then make that special breakfast for Sho, but the reflection I found in front of me, face to face, in the mirror over the sink, made me stop in my tracks. My feminine features had disappeared. As if by magic, my face was that of a man again, as well as my body. I didn't have breasts anymore, my legs weren't thin, but toned, and I got back what a year ago had disappeared from in-between my legs.  
  
It was what I had always wanted, since the beginning, to be a man again. Why didn't I feel happy? There wasn't a smile on my face, and my heart wasn't racing with happiness. The only thing I felt was a suffocating sensation inside my chest, as if someone were pressing on it from the inside, and I had to turn around to stop looking at myself. It couldn't be. I really wanted to be me again, to have my body back, but it happened so suddenly that I didn't know how Sho would react. Or Yuuki.  
  
What if my daughter didn't recognize me?  
  
Without taking my shower, I looked for my men's underwear, I grabbed the first t-shirt and pair of sweatpants I found, and walked to the living room, where I found Sho sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. At his feet, Yuuki was playing with building blocks, sitting on the carpet.  
  
"Papapapapapa", she said, offering a piece to Sho.  
  
"Do you want me to help you?", he asked, leaving the newspaper aside.  
  
Yuuki repeated the same sounds and Sho sat down on the floor with her. He placed the block on top of another, and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple.  
  
"Did you see that, Yuuki-chan? Papa knows how to build too"  
  
"Ta!", she exclaimed, hitting one piece against another.  
  
I quietly entered the room, staring at my feet, nervously playing with the edge of my T-shirt. I felt an uncontrollable desire to cry, but I didn't want to. I didn't want Sho to make his decision because he felt sorry for me.  
  
I swallowed hard and plucked up my courage.  
  
"Sho...", I said in almost a whisper.  
  
He turned around and smiled at me, just like he always did.  
  
"You didn't take your shower yet?", he asked.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Sho... I am... a man...", I bit my lower lip because the tears were still fighting to roll down my cheeks.  
  
"Of course you are", he said. "You always have been"  
  
"Eh?", I looked at him, surprised.  
  
"It didn't really suit you to have a woman's body, to be honest", he chuckled.  
  
"But... you started to like me because I was a woman... and... Yuuki..."  
  
"Satoshi", he said, standing up and approaching me. "You still don't get it? I don't care if your body is a man's or a woman's. I love you. Just the way you are. And Yuuki loves you too"  
  
"Mine. Mama. Mine. Mine!", my daughter said, crawling up to me and holding her tiny arms out from the floor.  
  
I held her in my arms and hugged her, feeling her tiny body pressed to mine. And I smiled. Having my daughter in my arms, hugging me like that and telling me that I was hers was an incredible feeling that just can't be put into words.  
  
Sho smiled and kissed our forehead, first mine, and then hers.  
  
"Come what may, Yuuki-chan spent nine months inside you, and that'll never change. You're always going to share a special bond, and you're always going to be hers. Man or woman"  
  
"Thank you, Sho", I said, with tears in my eyes. "I... love both of you so much..."  
  
"And we love you, Satoshi. We adore you. I don't know how to live without you anymore, and I'm sure that Yuuki-chan feels the same"  
  
Perhaps our family wasn't a very conventional one, but for us, it was perfect.  
  
Yuuki had two fathers, and she called one of them mama, but the truth is that we didn't have to explain it to anyone else but her. Our little princess that lit up every morning with her babblings, her handful of words, and her toys scattered all around the house.  
  
Our daughter.  
  
Our little miracle.


End file.
